Sourcing live feeder locusts from China

Duty and controls for live feeder locusts

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0106 covers other live animals. Live feeder locusts fall within the other-insects line, 0106 49 00 00, with duty of 0% for goods from China. The supplied tariff extract records no anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension for this line. The table shows commercial size variants sharing the same tariff line.

The tariff attaches veterinary, animal-health-certificate, CITES, invasive-species and organic-product controls, plus an export CITES control. APHA's commercial-invertebrate guidance says veterinary health certification is unnecessary for these animals, but entry from China normally requires a border control post. Ask your customs broker to confirm the common health entry document and how each attached control applies to the identified species and consignment.

Confirm the scientific species name, live condition and intended use before choosing the code. Use finding your commodity code, and compare the wider heading discussion in our live feeder crickets guide. A duty-free tariff line does not establish that a particular species is admissible.

Specify species, growth stage and transport packs

Give the breeder the scientific species name, agreed body-size band, growth stage, pack count and intended pet-feeding use. Define how size is measured, whether adults are acceptable, and how substitutions are handled. Ask for photographs of the actual breeding stock and packed dispatch batch.

APHA permits imports within its commercial-invertebrate guidance from any trading partner, subject to the other applicable controls. For potentially unlisted plant pests, contact APHA to establish whether authorisation is needed. Confirm the species before committing to a shipment.

The consignment must carry an invoice and packing list detailing species, animal numbers, origin and destination premises, importer contact details and intended use, plus an exporter declaration that the animals are fit to travel. Notify APHA through the import notification system before arrival. For resale, ask the local authority to assess your feed-business registration or approval activities.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative consignment of retail packs of adult feeder locusts under 0106 49 00 00, invoiced at £2,019 free on board, with £834 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,853. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,853, so it is £570.60. 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: match the delivered locusts, supplier batch records and scientific species name against the agreed specification and accompanying documents.

Condition: record live, dead and visibly damaged insects on arrival. Photograph the unopened packaging, then assess activity and condition under the agreed receiving conditions.

Containment: check lids, seams, ventilation mesh and outer packaging for damage or escape gaps. Open packs inside a suitable contained receiving area.

Pack contents: compare growth stage, body size and count with the order. Record unexpected insects, mould, condensation and contaminated packing material before mixing batches.

What goes wrong

A supplier's description of “feeder locusts” leaves the species unresolved. APHA warns that some invertebrates are prohibited plant pests, and species listed as invasive species of special concern cannot be commercially imported. Resolve species identity and admissibility before agreeing dispatch.

Agree how arrival mortality, mixed sizes, escape damage and discrepancies will be recorded and settled. Avoid accepting dispatch photographs as evidence of arrival condition. Missing species details or an unsuitable border route can also undermine an otherwise usable 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.