Sourcing lettuce and chicory from China

Duty and controls for fresh salad leaves

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0705 covers fresh or chilled lettuce and chicory. Head lettuce, other lettuce, witloof chicory and other chicory all carry 10% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff records list no anti-dumping or countervailing duties and no suspensions.

The tariff attaches HMI conformity certificate and Certificate of Conformity controls to the lettuce lines, and organic import controls to every line. Have your customs broker confirm the conformity documentation for Chinese lettuce before shipment. For an organic order, confirm the import requirements with your broker and approved UK organic control body before agreeing organic labels.

Specify whether the goods are head lettuce, other lettuce, witloof or other chicory, and whether they are fresh or chilled. Use the commodity code guide to confirm classification. Importers must also check whether their plant product requires phytosanitary certification for entry into Great Britain.

Specify variety, trimming and arrival condition

Agree the variety, leaf colour, head firmness, trimmed condition, individual weight range and packing format. For witloof, specify compact heads, acceptable tip colour and limits on opened leaves. Set written acceptance limits for wilting, bruising, browning, decay, insects and soil.

Agree pre-cooling, refrigerated transport, temperature records and remaining shelf life at delivery with the grower and packing site. Ask for pesticide residue testing matched to the shipped lots, and confirm the applicable Great Britain residue limits with the relevant food authority or customs broker. Confirm the applicable marketing standards and label information before packing.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 10,000 kg of chilled head lettuce for a produce wholesaler under 0705 11 00 00, invoiced at £18,000 free on board, with £4,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £22,500. Duty at 10% is £2,250. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £24,750, so it is £4,950. Import taxes total £7,200; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,250 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: check variety, head or leaf form, trimming and carton contents against the agreed specification.

Condition: open cartons from different load positions and check firmness, wilting, brown cut edges, crushed leaves, slime, insects and soil.

Cold chain: review temperature records and check product temperature and remaining shelf life on arrival against the contract.

Weight and records: check net weights, carton labels and lot codes against the packing list and residue reports. Arrange quality inspection before loading.

What goes wrong

Leafy produce can arrive wilted, crushed or decayed when pre-cooling, handling or refrigerated transport falls short. Condensation and wet packing can leave damaged leaves difficult to sell. Witloof can arrive with opened heads or unwanted greening; agree photographs and rejection criteria before shipment.

A satisfactory departure sample does not establish arrival quality. Keep loading photographs, temperature records and arrival inspection findings tied to the same lot. Resolve conformity and organic documentation before dispatch rather than relying on a supplier's general assurance.

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.