Sourcing garlic and onions from China

Duty and the garlic quota

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, fresh or chilled garlic, 0703 20 00 00, carried a third-country duty of 8% plus £100 per 100 kg on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. Onions and shallots carried 8% and leeks and other alliaceous vegetables 10%.

A tariff quota open to garlic from China, order number 05.4105, carried 9.60% with no specific duty, but only when the goods are covered by an AGRIM import licence carrying the required entries (document code L001). Plan the licence before the goods ship, because without it the full specific duty applies. Zero-rated VAT applies to vegetables sold as food.

Food safety and plant health

Pesticide residues must be within the maximum residue levels set under retained Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, so ask the packer for residue test results for the lot, not only a certificate for the farm. Fresh vegetables also fall under the GB plant health import rules and marketing standards; check the requirements for your exact product and pre-notify the consignment as required before it ships.

Garlic from China is often peeled, packed in brine or dried; peeled and processed garlic, and garlic powder, are classified elsewhere, see our dried vegetables guide.

Specifying garlic and onions

Specify variety (such as normal white or pure white garlic), bulb diameter band, number of cloves, dryness and skin, freedom from sprouting and mould, packing (mesh bags, cartons, net weight), cold storage temperature in transit, and the lot residue testing. For onions, specify colour, size grade and dry matter.

Worked duty example

Take a hypothetical 20 tonnes of fresh garlic entered under 0703 20 00 00 outside the quota: £18,000 free on board plus £3,500 of freight and insurance gives a customs value of £21,500. The ad valorem duty at 8% is £1,720 and the specific duty of £100 per 100 kg adds £20,000, so duty is £21,720, more than the goods themselves. Import VAT on fresh vegetables for food is zero-rated, so no VAT is added here. Entered within the China tariff quota at 9.60% with the import licence, the same shipment would pay £2,064. The figures are illustrative only; step by step in UK import duty and VAT.

Inspection checklist

Quality: check bulb size distribution, cloves, skin, firmness and defects such as mould, sprouting and insect damage on a sample from several cartons, against the order grade.

Residues and documents: check the residue test report is for the shipped lot, and check the plant health documents and the AGRIM licence entries match the shipment before loading.

Cold chain and packing: check the reefer set temperature and humidity, cartons or bags are ventilated and marked with lot and grade, and net weights are correct.

What goes wrong

Garlic imports fail on duty, residues and condition. Buyers price without the £100 per 100 kg specific duty, or ship before the licence is in place, residue results do not cover the lot, and bulbs sprout or go mouldy in a warm container.

Price the specific duty or secure the quota licence first, test residues per lot, and check the cold chain. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources garlic, onions and alliums for UK wholesalers and food processors, and can run container programmes across a season. See container programmes.