Sourcing hyacinth bulbs from China

Hyacinth bulb duty and tariff suspensions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0601 covers dormant, growing and flowering bulbs and other planting material. Dormant hyacinths use 0601 10 10 00; hyacinths in growth or flower use 0601 20 30 00. The table repeats these codes for different buying specifications. See the wider bulbs and rhizomes guide and confirm the commodity code against the condition at import.

The supplied China tariff data lists base duties of 4% for dormant hyacinths and 8% for those in growth or flower, with a 0.00 % autonomous tariff suspension on both lines. Its footnote excludes mixtures, preparations or products made up of different components containing these products. No anti-dumping or countervailing measure is recorded on either line. Ask your customs broker to confirm suspension eligibility for the actual shipment.

The UK Trade Tariff attaches organic import controls to both codes and CITES import and export controls to the shared growing or flowering code. Confirm the organic requirement with your customs broker if making organic claims. For the shared code, ask the broker to confirm whether CITES documentation applies to the exact botanical species. These tariff entries should be checked separately from plant health requirements.

Specify the cultivar, bulb grade and forcing treatment

Specify the botanical name, cultivar, flower colour, bulb circumference grade and grading method. State whether the bulbs are dormant, already growing or flowering, and whether they are for garden planting or indoor forcing. For prepared bulbs, request the treatment and storage history, plus a sample growing trial. Agree packing that protects basal plates and shoots while allowing ventilation.

Before ordering, ask APHA to confirm the plant health conditions for the exact species and growing origin in China. For imports into Great Britain, ask APHA to confirm the risk category and any registration, exporter phytosanitary certificate, advance notification, checks and fees required. Plan the import route and document handover with the broker.

For onward supply to retailers, plant passport authorisation is required where the plants have passport requirements. Online sales of plants to customers buying for personal use also need a plant passport. Arrange the applicable UK passport process before offering the bulbs for sale.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order of 2,000 dormant hyacinth bulbs under 0601 10 10 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,900. Duty at 4% is £276. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,176, so it is £1,435.20. Import taxes total £1,711.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £276 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity and grade: compare cultivar labels, flower colour records and measured bulb circumference with the order; keep varieties and grades separate.

Bulb condition: check firmness, intact basal plates and tunics, and look for soft rot, mould, shrivelling, pest damage and unwanted sprouting.

Packing and moisture: check ventilation, crushed bulbs, damp cartons and condensation; photograph affected packs before sorting.

Documents and trial: match batch identifiers and quantities to the packing list and phytosanitary paperwork; assess rooting and flowering against the agreed sample trial. See quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A colour label does not prove cultivar identity. Mixed grades give uneven plants, damaged basal plates impair rooting, and damp packing encourages rot. Bulbs sold as prepared for forcing may flower unevenly if the treatment or storage history differs from the agreed sample. Compare growing trials before accepting a repeat order.

Documents can describe dormant bulbs while the shipment has already sprouted. Organic claims and controls on a shared tariff code also need attention before dispatch. Check the packing list against the actual goods and resolve discrepancies with the exporter and broker before shipment.

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.