Sourcing jasmine green tea from China

Jasmine green tea: 0% or 2% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 November 2026, heading 0902 covers tea, whether or not flavoured. Jasmine green tea in immediate packings not exceeding 3 kg falls under 0902 10 00 00 at 2%; larger immediate packings fall under 0902 20 00 00 at 0%. The table shows product formats sharing these codes.

The supplied tariff record shows no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. It attaches organic import control and a restriction on entry into free circulation. Confirm applicable pre-notification, border control post checks and common health entry document requirements for this tea consignment with the relevant food authority or your customs broker before shipment. Organic tea needs an inspection certificate; the exporter’s control body issues it.

Confirm the actual tea base and immediate packing size with your broker using the commodity code guide. Jasmine scenting should not obscure whether the underlying tea is green or partly fermented. See the wider tea guide for other tea families.

Specify the tea base and jasmine scent

Specify the green tea origin, leaf grade and loose-leaf or pearl form. Ask whether jasmine flowers are used for scenting, whether flowers remain in the finished tea and whether flavouring is added. Record the agreed ingredients and approve a retained sample for aroma, liquor colour, bitterness and finish.

Agree a brewing method for comparing samples and deliveries. Specify moisture, broken leaf, dust and foreign matter tolerances without relying on a supplier’s grade name. Ask for sealed barrier packaging that keeps the tea dry and prevents odour transfer. Treat batch residue testing as a purchasing condition, with reports tied to the shipped lot.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5,000 kg of jasmine green tea in 100 g retail tins under 0902 10 00 00, invoiced at £50,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £52,000. Duty at 2% is £1,040. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £53,040, so it is £10,608. Import taxes total £11,648; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,040 of duty. 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 leaf shape, pearl appearance, flower content and brewed aroma with the retained sample.

Condition: check for dampness, mould, excess dust, damaged seals and packaging odours that mask the jasmine scent.

Safety: check lot-linked pesticide and contaminant reports against GB limits, including the testing scope and sample identity.

Labels and entry: check the food name, net quantity, best before date, storage conditions, origin and UK food business address. Confirm ingredient-list and allergen labelling requirements for flavoured tea with the relevant food authority. Confirm border paperwork before dispatch; use the inspection guide to define the checks.

What goes wrong

A strong sample aroma can hide a weak or bitter tea base. Delivered lots may have less jasmine scent, more dust or a different leaf grade. Flower fragments and added flavouring can also differ from the agreed recipe. Compare brewed samples as well as dry leaves, and retain samples from the approved and delivered lots.

Moisture and packaging odours spoil the tea even when the leaves look acceptable. Residue failures and missing entry documents can prevent release. Review batch reports and border arrangements before shipping; a pleasant tasting sample does not establish compliance.

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.