Sourcing frozen passion fruit pulp from China

Duty depends on sweetening and suspension eligibility

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 0811 covers frozen fruit and nuts, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, with or without added sweetening matter. HMRC includes passion fruit in its tropical-fruit classification. For unsweetened uncooked pulp retaining the character of fruit, check 0811 90 85 00. The table separates seeded and seedless specifications under that same code.

The unsweetened tropical-fruit line has an 8% base duty and a 0% suspension. Its suspension excludes mixtures, preparations and products made up of different components containing the fruit. Sweetened pulp carries 12% under 0811 90 31 00, or 12% plus £4.40 per 100 kg under 0811 90 11 00 when sugar exceeds 13% by weight. The supplied lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty.

The tariff attaches organic import control. Confirm inspection-certificate requirements for organic consignments with your customs broker; the exporter’s control body issues the certificate. Your business must be certified by an approved UK organic control body, and the recognised non-UK registers govern eligible certification routes. Confirm the recipe and processing with your broker before choosing the commodity code or claiming suspension. See the wider frozen fruit guide for other fruit.

Specify uncooked pulp, seeds and intended use

Specify the passion fruit variety, seeded or seedless pulp, screening method, colour, aroma, acidity, soluble solids, viscosity and permitted peel or fibre. Record all added sugar, sweeteners, water and other ingredients. Ask for the processing flow and confirm whether any heat treatment occurs. Agree frozen blocks or portion packs, liner material, seal design and usable yield after thawing.

State whether the pulp will be cooked or used without cooking in drinks and desserts. Confirm applicable food safety, traceability, pesticide-residue and contaminant requirements with the relevant food authority. Agree batch sampling and laboratory checks suited to that use, rather than accepting a generic report for another fruit or production run. Confirm the current high-risk food listing for the product and origin before shipment.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of frozen uncooked sweetened passion fruit pulp under 0811 90 31 00, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,800. Duty at 12% is £2,616. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,416, so it is £4,883.20. Import taxes total £7,499.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,616 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step. This assumes the goods are standard-rated for VAT. Most food for human consumption is zero-rated, and animal feed can be too, in which case no import VAT is due, so check the rate for your product in HMRC's VAT Notice 701/14.

Inspection checklist

Pulp: compare a controlled thawed sample with the approved sample for aroma, colour, acidity, viscosity, seeds and peel fragments; check for dilution or fermentation.

Cold chain: review loading and transport temperature records, check arrival core temperatures and look for leaking packs, thawed edges or damaged liners.

Batch evidence: match pack identifiers to production records and laboratory samples; check that residue, contaminant and microbiological reports cover the delivered pulp.

Packaging and claims: check seals, net contents, recipe and storage information against the approved specification; for organic stock, match the inspection certificate to the consignment.

What goes wrong

Common specification failures include excess seeds in a seedless order, peel fragments, weak aroma, added water and inconsistent acidity. Warm handling can leave packs partly thawed or leaking. Compare the pulp after controlled thawing and in your actual recipe, since its frozen appearance can conceal texture and flavour differences.

A changed recipe can undermine the selected code or suspension claim. Organic paperwork may also fail to match the shipment. Resolve recipe changes, batch-test gaps and certificate discrepancies before dispatch. Agree sampling and arrival acceptance checks using the quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources these products for UK businesses, checking the factory and the documents before shipment. See factory verification. For repeat volumes, see container programmes.