Sourcing Hemp Seeds from China

Zero duty with import licensing controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 1207 covers other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, whether or not broken. Its hemp seed lines distinguish seeds for sowing from seeds for other uses. Both carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no listed suspensions.

Both hemp lines carry a restriction on entry into free circulation referring to an agricultural import licence, plus an organic import control. Ask your customs broker to confirm the licence and any importer authorisation needed for the intended use before dispatch. For organic food from China into Great Britain, obtain a certificate of inspection for each consignment.

Confirm the intended use and processing with your broker using finding your commodity code. Roasted or salted seeds are prepared foods rather than these raw seed lines. The sesame and pumpkin seed guide covers the wider heading. Only the hemp-specific commodity lines are shown here.

Specify food hemp seeds separately from sowing seed

State whether the order is for food manufacture or sowing, and whether seeds are whole or hulled. Agree variety, colour, flavour, moisture, purity, broken kernels, residual hull and foreign material against an approved sample. Describe any cleaning, dehulling or heat treatment and require the supplier to identify the production lot.

For food lots, agree laboratory testing for pesticide residues, aflatoxins, salmonella and cannabinoid contamination before shipment. Confirm applicable pesticide and aflatoxin limits with the relevant food safety authority. Keep the sample identity and production lot linked to the report. For sowing orders, confirm plant health and seed marketing requirements; cultivation also requires a Home Office licence.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 kg of hemp seeds for food manufacture under 1207 99 91 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,400, so it is £680. 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. 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

Identity: compare whole seeds or hulled kernels with the approved sample and the stated intended use.

Condition: check moisture, mould, rancid odour, insects, stones, broken kernels and remaining hull.

Batch evidence: match bag markings, supplier lot details, retained samples and laboratory reports.

Packaging and paperwork: check dry, intact liners and seals; have your broker verify import licensing and any organic certificate before dispatch.

What goes wrong

Food kernels can arrive with excessive hull, broken material or a stale flavour. Damp packing encourages mould and rancidity. Agree measurable acceptance criteria and sample the shipped lot rather than relying on a sales sample or a report for another batch.

A food order described simply as seed can leave its intended use unclear in the paperwork. Resolve sowing versus food use before ordering and check licensing separately from duty. An organic claim also needs matching import documentation; a supplier’s organic logo alone does not settle the import control.

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.