Sourcing frozen vegetables from China
Frozen vegetables from China, including potatoes, peas, green beans, spinach, sweet peppers, broccoli and mixed vegetables, pay 14% UK duty, while frozen sweetcorn pays 4% plus £7.80 per 100 kg, with no anti-dumping duty. Pesticide residues must meet GB maximum residue levels, labels must follow food information rules, and the cold chain must hold at -18°C. Cambridge China Bridge sources them.
Frozen peas, beans, spinach, peppers, broccoli, mixed vegetables and potatoes pay 14% UK duty from China; frozen sweetcorn 4% plus £7.80 per 100 kg.
Duty at 14% for most lines
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, frozen potatoes, peas, green beans, spinach, sweet peppers, headed broccoli, drumsticks, okra and mixtures of vegetables carried 14% duty on goods from China, and frozen sweetcorn carried 4% plus £7.80 per 100 kg. None had an anti-dumping measure.
Chips and other prepared potato products are in chapter 20, not 0710; confirm the commodity code.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potatoes | 0710 10 00 00 | 14% | None |
| Peas | 0710 21 00 00 | 14% | None |
| Green beans | 0710 22 00 20 | 14% | None |
| Spinach | 0710 30 00 00 | 14% | None |
| Sweetcorn, other | 0710 40 00 99 | 4% + £7.80 per 100 kg | None |
| Sweet peppers | 0710 80 51 00 | 14% | None |
| Mixtures of vegetables | 0710 90 00 00 | 14% | None |
Residues and food law
Pesticide residues must not exceed the GB maximum residue levels set under the retained residues regulation, so ask for a residue test from an accredited laboratory for each lot. The importer must register as a food business, and labels need the name, ingredients, allergens, net weight, storage instructions and a UK address in English.
Cold chain
Agree reefer containers set at -18°C or colder, temperature loggers and pre-cooling, and check the factory's freezing and storage capacity. Glazing or ice content must be declared and weighed correctly.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of frozen peas under 0710 21 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,500. Duty at 14% is £3,010. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,510, so it is £4,902. Import taxes total £7,912; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £3,010 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.
What goes wrong
Frozen vegetables fail through the cold chain and the line. Clumps of fused pieces show the product thawed and refroze; freezer burn and colour loss show poor packing or long storage. Excess ice glaze inflates the declared weight. Foreign bodies such as stones, stems and plastic come from weak sorting.
At inspection, check core temperature on arrival, thaw a sample to measure net weight against the pack weight, count defects and foreign matter per kilo against an agreed limit, and check cut size and colour. Match the lot code on cartons to the residue test report.
Inspection
At inspection, check core temperature, cut size, foreign matter, clumping and pack weights.
Cambridge China Bridge sources frozen vegetables, with residue testing, cold chain and labels settled before the order. See how our sourcing service works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on frozen vegetables from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, most frozen vegetables carried 14% duty from China, and frozen sweetcorn 4% plus £7.80 per 100 kg.
Are frozen chips in heading 0710?
No. Chips and other prepared potato products are in chapter 20.
What tests should frozen vegetables have?
A pesticide residue test against GB maximum residue levels from an accredited laboratory, for each lot.
What temperature should the cold chain hold?
-18°C or colder, with temperature loggers in the container.