Sourcing Gin from China

0% customs duty, with Alcohol Duty separately

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 7 October 2026, heading 2208 covers undenatured ethyl alcohol below 80% alcohol by volume, spirits, liqueurs and other spirituous beverages. Gin from China carries 0% customs duty under 2208 50 11 00 for containers holding 2 litres or less and 2208 50 19 00 for larger containers. Neither gin line records anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or a suspension.

Alcohol Duty is separate from customs duty. The site's spirits guide records £33.99 per litre of pure alcohol for spirits above 22% alcohol by volume from 1 February 2026. Import VAT at 20% applies to the value plus customs duty and Alcohol Duty. Agree the excise warehouse or duty-payment route before shipment, and use the duty and VAT guide when preparing the landed-cost calculation.

Both gin lines carry an organic import control. Organic gin from China entering Great Britain needs a certificate of inspection for each consignment, and the exporter’s control body and export country must appear on the non-UK organic registers. The importer must be UK-based and certified by an approved UK organic control body. Confirm the commodity code; the baijiu and spirits guide covers the wider heading.

Specify the gin, bottle and label

Specify alcohol strength and tolerance, the base alcohol, botanical recipe, production method, sweetness and colour. Gin has a minimum strength of 37.5% alcohol by volume. Set an agreed juniper-led flavour profile and retain an approved sample for comparison. Ask the distillery to identify any flavourings added after distillation, and arrange label review before approving descriptions such as distilled gin or London Dry.

Specify bottle capacity, glass colour, closure, seal, label adhesive, carton dividers and pallet packing. Packaged spirits must use specified quantities within the regulated volume range. Check the product name, net quantity, alcoholic strength, UK business name and address, and any allergen declarations with the relevant food authority to confirm the applicable label requirements. Check each label variant before printing. If wholesaling alcohol in the UK, check whether Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme approval applies.

The table includes Geneva and liqueurs as classification comparisons, alongside the gin lines. Do not assign a gin code to a sweetened gin-based liqueur without checking its composition. The UK Trade Tariff attaches veterinary control to the listed liqueur line. Animal-based drinks face additional import conditions; for a recipe containing milk or egg, ask your customs broker to confirm whether it can enter from China and what documentation is required before ordering.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 3,000 bottles of 500 ml gin; illustrative FOB value and freight under 2208 50 11 00, invoiced at £12,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £13,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £13,500, so it is £2,700. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step. HMRC's VAT Notice 701/14 lists alcoholic beverages among the exceptions that are standard-rated even though most food is zero-rated, so the 20% VAT shown applies.

Inspection checklist

Liquid: compare aroma, juniper character, sweetness, colour and clarity with the approved sample; investigate sediment or an unexpected flavour.

Laboratory: test batch samples for alcoholic strength against the label and specification, and agree appropriate methanol and other contaminant checks.

Bottles: check fill levels, chipped glass, leaking closures, seals, label adhesion and carton dividers after transport.

Records: match batch identifiers to the certificate of analysis, packing list and duty-route paperwork; check organic documents where applicable. Use the inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A sample can taste right while the production batch changes after a botanical substitution or a different dilution step. Compare production samples with the retained reference and test strength rather than relying on the factory’s label artwork. Poor closures cause leakage, while weak dividers allow bottles to strike each other during transport.

A 0% customs rate can hide a substantial Alcohol Duty bill. Missing organic paperwork can also delay an organic shipment. Keep the recipe, label, batch evidence and customs classification aligned, and resolve discrepancies before dispatch rather than after the bottles reach your warehouse.

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.