Sourcing longan honey from China

Longan honey duty and import controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 7 October 2026, heading 0409 covers natural honey. Longan honey falls under 0409 00 00 90, the other natural honey line, with 16% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff facts show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line. The packing formats in the table share this code. See the wider honey guide.

The tariff attaches veterinary control. For Great Britain, check country eligibility and the establishment's registration with the Chinese competent authority before ordering. Arrange the health certificate and confirm pre-notification and entry-point requirements with your customs broker or port health authority. Chinese honey also needs testing before dispatch for chloramphenicol, nitrofuran and its metabolites, with a Chinese competent-authority declaration containing the results.

The tariff also attaches organic import control. For organic longan honey from China entering Great Britain, obtain a certificate of inspection for each consignment and check the exporter’s control body and country against the non-UK organic registers. Confirm the exact formulation and commodity code, especially for products containing added ingredients.

Specify the longan floral source

Specify natural honey from longan blossom, the harvest location, extraction and heating process, packing format and batch identification. Ask for harvest records and a sealed sample from the shipment lot. Agree acceptable colour, aroma and consistency against that sample, with laboratory testing for authenticity, moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural, diastase activity and residues.

For sales in England, a longan floral-origin description requires the honey to come wholly or mainly from that source and possess its sensory, physical, chemical and microscopic characteristics. Ask a specialist laboratory to assess the floral claim, including pollen analysis, alongside syrup-adulteration testing. A supplier's product name alone does not establish the source.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 20 tonnes of bulk longan 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 source: match harvest records, pollen findings and the laboratory assessment to the longan claim and shipment batch.

Authenticity and condition: review syrup-adulteration, residue, moisture and heat-damage results; compare the arrival sample with the sealed reference sample and check for fermentation.

Packaging: check drum linings or jar condition, seals, leaks and batch marks. Match the physical goods to the reports during quality inspection.

Documents and labels: match the establishment, batch and shipment details across the health certificate and Chinese testing declaration. Check the country-of-origin label and, for organic orders, the certificate of inspection.

What goes wrong

A batch described as longan honey may lack supporting floral evidence or contain added syrup. Ask the laboratory to address botanical origin and adulteration separately. Wet honey can ferment, while excessive heating damages enzymes and raises hydroxymethylfurfural. Appearance and sweetness alone cannot replace the agreed tests.

A generic laboratory report can cover a different lot, and a supplier’s report cannot replace the required Chinese competent-authority declaration. Obtain matching paperwork before dispatch. Missing organic documentation or inconsistent batch details can leave the importer unable to demonstrate that the shipment meets the agreed requirements.

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.