Sourcing shelled hard-boiled eggs from China
Hard-boiled shelled hens' eggs from China fall under a food-use line carrying £29.00 per 100kg duty, rather than a percentage range. Great Britain requires an approved origin and establishment, with appropriate health certification. Confirm eligibility before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources hard-boiled shelled hens' eggs.
Weight-based duty on shelled cooked eggs
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0408 covers birds' eggs without shells and egg yolks, including eggs cooked by boiling in water. For plain hard-boiled shelled hens' eggs intended as food, the relevant supplied line is 0408 99 80 00, carrying £29.00 per 100kg on goods from China. The supplied facts show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.
The tariff attaches veterinary control and organic import control. Egg products entering Great Britain must come from an approved establishment and have the appropriate health certificate. Check country approval, residue-plan eligibility and any supplementary guarantees before ordering. Ask APHA to confirm the IPAFFS pre-notification arrangements and arrange entry through the appropriate border control post. Ask your customs broker and APHA to confirm the China-specific residue documentation and the attached control's requirements for the exact consignment.
For organic eggs from China, obtain a Great Britain certificate of inspection for each consignment and check the exporter's control body and export country against the non-UK organic registers. Confirm the commodity code using the recipe and preservation method. See the wider egg-products guide. Only the relevant food-use line is shown here; it does not support a percentage-duty worked example.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard-boiled shelled hens' eggs for human consumption | 0408 99 80 00 | £29.00 per 100 kg | None |
Specify cooking, peeling and preservation
Specify hens' eggs, fully set whites and yolks, complete shell removal, egg size consistency and acceptable surface damage. State whether the eggs are plain or supplied in a packing liquid, and provide the complete recipe, including salt and additives. Agree the texture and flavour against a retained sample.
Choose chilled or shelf-stable supply explicitly. Request evidence supporting the cooking process, hygiene after peeling, sealed-pack shelf life and storage instructions. Agree pack count, net contents, packing-liquid quantity and remaining shelf life at arrival. Do not accept an ambient-storage claim based only on vacuum packing.
For pre-packed food sold in Great Britain, the label must carry the appropriate UK food-business or importer address. Required storage instructions must explain how to keep and use the product. A use-by date applies where eating the food after that date presents a safety issue; selling food past its use-by date is a criminal offence.
Inspection checklist
Product: compare egg size, fully set yolks, peeling damage and shell fragments with the agreed sample; investigate rubbery whites, discolouration and unexpected odours.
Packs: check seals, leaks, swelling, pack count and net contents; compare packing-liquid appearance and quantity with the specification.
Storage: review transport records against the supplier's supported storage conditions; check arrival condition and remaining shelf life before releasing stock.
Documents: match factory identity, batch references, health documentation and laboratory reports to the delivered goods; check label artwork against the agreed recipe and storage instructions.
What goes wrong
Peeling can leave shell fragments or tear the whites. Excessive cooking can produce a rubbery texture and discoloured yolks. Poor seals and mishandling after cooking can undermine the agreed shelf life. Ask a food laboratory to propose suitable microbiological and residue testing for the recipe and preservation process, with samples linked to the shipment.
Factory approval is a separate check from sample quality. Official guidance warns that consignments from premises missing from the appropriate approved list can be held, rejected, re-exported or destroyed. Settle approval and the China-specific documentation before production, then use quality inspection to check the agreed product and packing.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on hard-boiled shelled eggs from China?
The supplied tariff facts give £29.00 per 100kg under 0408 99 80 00 for food-use eggs, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Confirm classification for the exact recipe.
Can I order from any Chinese egg factory?
No. Egg products must come from an establishment approved to export to Great Britain. Confirm country approval, residue-plan eligibility and the exact consignment's documentation with APHA before ordering.
Can vacuum-packed boiled eggs travel without refrigeration?
Ask for evidence supporting the exact product's ambient shelf life and storage conditions. Vacuum packing alone is insufficient evidence. Specify chilled transport where the supported storage instructions require it.
What paperwork do organic boiled eggs need?
Organic food from China needs a Great Britain certificate of inspection for each consignment. Check the exporter's control body and export country against the non-UK organic registers; animal-product controls also apply.