Sourcing live silkworms from China

Live silkworm duty and import controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0106 covers other live animals. Live silkworms fall within the other-insects line, 0106 49 00 00, with 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied record shows no anti-dumping duty, countervailing duty or suspension for this line. The table describes different uses within the same commodity line.

The tariff record attaches animal health certificate, veterinary, CITES import and export, invasive alien species and organic-product controls. APHA guidance says these commercial invertebrates do not require veterinary health certification. Confirm the tariff document declarations with your customs broker. For organic claims, confirm the applicable requirements with your broker and organic control body rather than assuming that a breeder's description is sufficient.

Give your broker the scientific name, life stage and intended use when confirming the commodity code. This guide concerns live larvae for contained rearing. For the wider heading, see sourcing other live animals.

Specify the silkworm batch and transport plan

Specify the scientific name, strain, larval stage, size consistency and intended use. Ask the breeder to identify the rearing premises and batch, describe its feeding regime and provide recent dispatch photographs. Agree the arrival condition, evidence needed for a mortality claim and who will receive the shipment immediately.

APHA permits commercial invertebrate imports from any trading partner, so China is not excluded by the country-of-origin rule. Shipments from China normally need entry through a border control post. Notify the authorities through IPAFFS before arrival. Ask APHA to confirm any proposed scientific-purpose exemption before choosing a different entry route.

The shipment must have a commercial invoice and packing list detailing species, animal numbers, origin and destination premises, importer contact details and intended use, plus the exporter's fitness-to-travel declaration. Transport must suit the species. Agree ventilation, escape prevention, feeding arrangements and handling instructions with the breeder and carrier.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small-business batch of live silkworm larvae for contained rearing under 0106 49 00 00, invoiced at £889 free on board, with £834 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £1,723. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £1,723, so it is £344.60. 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: compare the delivered larvae, strain description and batch identification with the order and dispatch photographs.

Condition: record live and dead larvae, damaged bodies, unusual discolouration, mould and contamination before mixing the batch with existing stock.

Packaging: check ventilation, crushed containers, condensation, escaped larvae and any available transport-condition record.

Handover: reconcile the delivered quantity with the packing list and have the agreed housing and feed ready before opening the containers.

What goes wrong

A mixed-stage batch can undermine a classroom activity or breeding plan. Delays, unsuitable packing and a missing receiving arrangement can leave larvae weakened or dead. Agree a practical arrival inspection and claims process in writing, and photograph problems immediately. Appearance alone does not establish that a batch is disease-free.

A duty-free tariff line does not settle species controls. Check CITES status and the invasive-species restrictions before ordering; listed species of special concern cannot be imported commercially. APHA's non-native animal guidance requires an import licence for non-native animals and prohibits allowing them to escape into the wild. Confirm how this applies to the identified silkworm species before dispatch.

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.