Sourcing frozen shrimp and crayfish from China

6% to 18%

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, crustaceans of heading 0306 carried between 6% and 18% on goods from China across its 87 lines, with no anti-dumping measure and no tariff suspension. Frozen shrimps and prawns of the genus Penaeus, including vannamei and black tiger, carried 12%, frozen freshwater crayfish 6%, frozen crabs 6%, and frozen Crangon shrimps 18%.

Every line carries a veterinary control, and wild-caught crustaceans also fall under the control on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Cooked and peeled shrimp and crayfish tails in brine are prepared products of heading 1605, so confirm the commodity code from the species, whether it is cooked and whether it is peeled.

Approved plants and the border

Crustaceans are products of animal origin: they must come from a country and an establishment approved for fishery products, with a health certificate, pre-notification and checks at a border control post, as set out in the GOV.UK guidance on importing products of animal origin. Check the plant's approval number on the current list before sampling; our frozen fish fillets guide covers the same route for fish.

Wild-caught crustaceans need a catch certificate under the illegal fishing rules, while farmed shrimp is generally outside that scheme, so ask the supplier which applies. Sulphites used to stop blackspot must be declared as an allergen above 10 mg/kg, and the net weight on the label must exclude the glaze under retained Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011.

Specifying shrimp

Shrimp is bought on species, farmed or wild, form (head-on shell-on, headless shell-on, peeled and deveined, tail-on), count per kilo or pound, glaze percentage, freezing method (block or individually quick frozen), treatment with sulphites or phosphates, and pack. Agree how count and glaze are measured, because a looser count or a heavier glaze changes what the buyer actually receives.

Worked duty example

An invented example rather than a quote: 12 tonnes of frozen raw vannamei shrimp, commodity code 0306 17 92 90, bought for £60,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £64,000. Duty at 12% is £7,680. Shellfish sold as food is generally zero-rated for VAT under VAT Notice 701/14, so in that case no import VAT is added, but check the liability for the exact product. Frozen freshwater crayfish under 0306 19 10 00 would pay 6% on the same value. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

Inspection checklist

Net weight and glaze: deglaze samples from several cartons, weigh the drained product against the declared net weight, and count pieces per kilo against the size grade on the carton.

Residues and additives: test the first lot in a UK laboratory for veterinary drug residues and sulphite and phosphate levels, and check any additive used is declared on the label.

Temperature and condition: check core temperature on arrival is at or below −18 °C, read the container temperature record for the voyage, and look for freezer burn, blackspot and broken pieces against the approved sample.

What goes wrong

Shrimp imports fail on glaze, count and the border. Glaze is heavier than declared so buyers pay for ice, count per kilo is looser than the grade, shrimp shows blackspot or freezer burn after a warm transit, sulphites are undeclared, and consignments are held because the plant is not approved or the health certificate has errors.

Check the plant's approval, deglaze and count samples before loading, test residues on the first lot, and keep a temperature logger in every container. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources frozen shrimp, crayfish and crab for UK processors, wholesalers and food service, usually by the full reefer container. See container programmes.