Sourcing frozen squid and octopus from China

6% to 10% by species

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, frozen Loligo squid carried 6% on the lines checked, frozen Illex and Ommastrephes squid, cuttlefish and octopus 8%, and other squid such as Todarodes 10%, on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. The lines carry a veterinary control and the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing control, and codes for processing have their own conditions, so the species and use decide the commodity code.

Border checks and contaminants

Like other fishery products, cephalopods must come from an establishment approved for Great Britain with the model health certificate, be notified in IPAFFS before arrival and enter through a border control post. Squid is often caught by vessels of other flags and processed in China, so a validated catch certificate from the flag state and a processing statement from the Chinese plant are needed under the illegal fishing rules; see the frozen fish fillets guide.

Regulation 1881/2006 on contaminants, as it applies in Great Britain, limits cadmium in cephalopods without viscera to 1.0 mg/kg, which squid with viscera or poorly cleaned tubes can exceed. Phosphates are often added to hold water, and as food additives they must be permitted, within limits and declared on the label, so specify net weight after glaze and the additive policy in the contract.

Worked duty example

A hypothetical shipment, not a quote: 20,000 kg of frozen Illex squid tubes under 0307 43 92 90, bought for £50,000 free on board with £5,000 of refrigerated freight and insurance, so the customs value is £55,000. Duty at 8% is £4,400; frozen octopus at the same value would also pay 8%, while other Todarodes and squid lines pay 10%, £5,500. Squid and octopus are food and zero-rated for VAT, so no import VAT is due, and border control post and cold store charges come on top. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

What goes wrong

Frozen squid and octopus fail on water, species and documents. Heavy glaze and soaking in phosphate solutions add water the buyer pays for, texture turns rubbery or mushy after refreezing, cadmium exceeds the limit because viscera were not fully removed, and a cheaper squid genus is packed under a dearer name. Consignments are held because the catch certificate, processing statement and health certificate do not match the cartons.

Measure net weight after deglazing and check phosphate levels at a laboratory, test cadmium on samples from each lot, confirm species by morphology or DNA testing, check for refreezing, keep a temperature logger in each container, and match every certificate to the carton marks before the IPAFFS notification.

Cambridge China Bridge sources frozen squid, cuttlefish and octopus from approved plants, with catch documents, laboratory tests and the cold chain arranged before shipment. See how we source frozen seafood.