Sourcing frozen whole pomfret from China

Pomfret tariff lines carry 14% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, frozen whole silver pomfret of the genus Pampus falls within 0303 59 90 90, carrying 14% duty from China. Other fish sold as pomfret may fall within 0303 89 90 92, also at 14%, subject to scientific species confirmation. Neither supplied line records anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or a suspension. The table distinguishes buying forms sharing the same codes.

Heading 0303 covers frozen fish, excluding fillets and other fish meat. The relevant lines attach veterinary, illegal fishing and organic import controls. Ask your customs broker to confirm establishment approval, health certification, advance notification through IPAFFS and entry through a suitable border control post. Confirm whether a validated catch certificate is required for wild-caught fish and whether fish farmed from fry or larvae is outside that scheme.

Organic-labelled consignments from China need a Great Britain certificate of inspection; check the exporter’s control body and export country against the recognised organic registers. The silver pomfret line also attaches CITES import control, and both lines attach CITES export control. Confirm species-specific applicability and documents with your customs broker. Confirm the commodity code from the scientific name and presentation. See the wider frozen whole fish guide for other species.

Specify the species, whole-fish form and glaze

Request the scientific name alongside the supplier’s commercial name. Do not accept “pomfret” alone as the specification. Agree whether the fish retains its head and viscera, the individual weight grade, freezing method, permitted glaze, net fish weight per pack and carton arrangement. Keep photographs and a retained sample showing the agreed body shape, skin colour and cleaning.

Record whether the fish is wild-caught or farmed and its catch or farming area. Match the establishment approval number and batch identity across the cartons and health documents. For farmed pomfret, arrange veterinary residue testing before shipment and confirm the applicable China-specific import conditions with your broker. Specify retail label checks for the commercial name, production method, catch or farming area, allergen information, storage instructions and UK address.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2 tonnes of frozen whole silver pomfret under 0303 59 90 90, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £17,500. Duty at 14% is £2,450. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £19,950, so it is £3,990. Import taxes total £6,440; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,450 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

Species and grade: compare sampled fish with the agreed scientific name and retained sample; weigh individual fish from different cartons and check for mixed grades or substituted species.

Glaze and net weight: deglaze representative samples, drain consistently and compare the fish weight with the declared net weight; confirm the applicable net-weight labelling requirements with the relevant authority.

Condition and cold chain: review the transport temperature record and measure arrival temperature against the agreed storage specification; inspect for freezer burn, broken fins, damaged bellies and signs of thawing and refreezing.

Documents and labels: match batch marks, approved establishment number, health certificate and applicable catch documents to the delivered cartons; check label information before releasing stock. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspection.

What goes wrong

A purchase described only as pomfret can arrive as a different species or a mixture of sizes. Heavy glaze reduces the fish received, while split bellies and damaged skin reduce suitability for whole-fish presentation. Temperature excursions can leave fish stuck together or with poor texture after thawing.

Approval numbers or batch marks that do not match the certificates can delay clearance. Farmed and wild-caught fish need different supporting checks, so settle the production method before ordering. Compare deglazed weight and condition with the approved specification before dispatch and on arrival. Confirm the VAT treatment of food fish with HMRC or your customs broker; border and cold-storage charges remain relevant. See UK import duty and VAT.

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.