Sourcing jujube honey from China

Jujube honey duty and import controls

Heading 0409 covers natural honey. Natural jujube honey belongs under 0409 00 00 90, the line for honey other than Mānuka. Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 3 November 2026, the duty for goods from China is 16%. No anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension is listed for this line. The separate Mānuka suspension does not apply to jujube honey.

The tariff attaches veterinary control and import control of organic products. For Great Britain, arrange the health certificate, animal-product pre-notification and border control post checks. Confirm China's current country eligibility and the producer's registration before ordering. Organic honey imported from China also needs a Great Britain certificate of inspection; confirm the organic paperwork with your customs broker before shipment.

This guide covers natural honey sold with a jujube floral claim. Honey preparations and confectionery need separate classification. Confirm the commodity code using the actual composition and processing details. See sourcing honey from China for the wider heading.

Specify the jujube floral claim and batch quality

Describe the product as honey collected from jujube blossom, and ask the supplier to identify the plant, harvesting area and collection records. Agree whether other floral honeys are blended into it. Request specialist pollen analysis to support the floral claim, alongside authenticity testing for added syrups. Approve a sealed reference sample and agree colour, aroma, texture and filtration before production.

Put moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural, diastase activity and residue testing into the purchase specification. Agree the heating and storage records you will receive, together with drum liners or jar closures and batch identification. Honey composition and labelling in England are controlled by the Honey (England) Regulations 2015; confirm country-of-origin labelling requirements with the relevant authority. Obtain the batch reports before shipment rather than relying on a generic supplier report.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of bulk jujube honey in drums, illustrative only under 0409 00 00 90, invoiced at £42,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £45,500. Duty at 16% is £7,280. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £52,780, so it is £10,556. Import taxes total £17,836; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £7,280 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

Floral identity: match the jujube claim to the pollen report, harvesting records and approved reference sample; compare arrival samples with the agreed aroma and appearance.

Batch tests: match lot numbers to authenticity, moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural, diastase and veterinary-drug and pesticide residue reports; retain sealed samples.

Containers: check food-grade liners, drum seals or jar closures, leakage and lot marks; investigate sour odours or signs of fermentation.

Documents and labels: match the producer and consignment details to the health certificate and shipping documents; check the country of origin and any organic certificate. Arrange quality inspection against the agreed specification.

What goes wrong

A supplier's jujube description can arrive without evidence supporting the floral identity. Colour and sweetness do not replace pollen analysis or authenticity testing. Added syrups and blending can undermine the agreed product specification, so assess the actual shipment batch rather than a sales sample.

Excess moisture can lead to fermentation, while overheating raises hydroxymethylfurfural and damages quality. Confirm the applicable moisture and hydroxymethylfurfural limits with the relevant authority. Missing or mismatched paperwork can also hold up clearance. Keep suspect lots separate while the reports, samples and documents are reviewed.

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.