Sourcing ginkgo biloba extract from China

Ginkgo extract classification and zero duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 1302 covers vegetable saps and extracts alongside pectin and plant thickeners. The relevant candidate for ginkgo extract is 1302 19 70 00, other vegetable saps and extracts. Only this supplied commodity line is relevant here. Finished supplements or formulated mixtures may classify elsewhere. See the wider plant extracts guide.

This line carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied entry records no anti-dumping or countervailing measure and no suspension. It attaches organic-product, CITES and Home Office controlled-drug import controls, plus CITES and controlled-drug export controls. Confirm their application to the exact extract with your customs broker. A tariff flag alone does not establish that your ginkgo consignment needs a licence.

For organic purchases, ask for the certificate of inspection issued by the exporter's control body and confirm the import requirements with your broker. Controlled drugs or precursor chemicals require an import or export licence if present. Confirm the commodity code using the botanical source, full composition, extraction process and intended presentation.

Specify the leaf extract and its assay

Name Ginkgo biloba and the plant part in the purchase specification. For leaf extract, agree the extraction solvent, extract ratio, carrier ingredients, moisture, solubility and test methods. Specify flavonoid glycosides, terpene lactones and ginkgolic acids separately, with agreed acceptance criteria. Do not accept an extract ratio as a substitute for measured marker content.

For food use, check the exact extract's consumption history and novel food status with the relevant food authority before sale. For a product presented as treating or preventing disease, confirm its regulatory status and any herbal registration or licensing requirements with MHRA. Food products cannot claim or imply that they treat, prevent or cure disease. Settle the intended use and claims before approving labels.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: An illustrative trial consignment of bulk ginkgo extract powder for formulation testing under 1302 19 70 00, invoiced at £1,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £1,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £1,900, so it is £380. 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.

Inspection checklist

Identity: compare the delivered batch's botanical identity and analytical fingerprint with the approved sample; check the declared plant part and carrier ingredients.

Assay: obtain a batch-specific certificate of analysis and independently test marker content and ginkgolic acids against the purchase specification.

Contaminants: agree laboratory checks for residual solvents, pesticides, heavy metals and microbiology through testing and certification.

Arrival: inspect seals, liners, moisture damage and caking; match batch references across containers and test reports, and retain a sample before releasing stock.

What goes wrong

A powder can match the approved sample's colour while differing in identity or marker content. Undeclared carriers, inconsistent extraction and unsuitable test methods can hide dilution or substitution. Require the actual batch report and agreed methods rather than a generic supplier specification.

Damp packaging can leave powder caked or unsuitable for your process. Separately, a supplier's supplement or medicinal claims can create a regulatory problem that a satisfactory assay does not resolve. Hold stock while composition, testing or intended claims remain unresolved.

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.