Sourcing mead from China
Mead from China carries UK customs duty of £4.80 to £16.00 per hectolitre, depending on whether it is sparkling and the container size. Alcohol Duty is separate and depends on strength. Organic imports need an inspection certificate. Cambridge China Bridge sources mead.
Mead customs duty is charged by volume
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2206 covers other fermented beverages, including mead, and certain beverage mixtures. Mead falls within the other beverages branches rather than the cider and perry branches. The supplied data contains only the mead-relevant lines shown here, with no plain-percentage duty line from which to construct the requested worked example.
For goods from China, sparkling mead carries £16.00 per hectolitre. Still mead carries £6.40 per hectolitre in containers holding 2 litres or less, or £4.80 above 2 litres. These lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The tariff attaches organic import control: organic mead from China needs a Great Britain certificate of inspection for each consignment, and the exporter's control body and country must be checked against the non-UK organic registers.
Alcohol Duty is separate from customs duty; its rates are expressed per litre of pure alcohol and vary by strength band. Confirm the recipe, alcoholic strength, sparkling status and container capacity before choosing the commodity code. See the fermented drinks guide for the wider heading.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkling mead | 2206 00 39 00 | £16.00 per hl | None |
| Still mead in containers holding 2 litres or less | 2206 00 59 00 | £6.40 per hl | None |
| Still mead in containers holding more than 2 litres | 2206 00 89 00 | £4.80 per hl | None |
Specify the honey, fermentation and finish
Ask for the full recipe and production process, including honey source, other fermentable sugars, fruit, spices, preservatives and any added alcohol. Agree the honey aroma, sweetness, acidity, colour, clarity and acceptable sediment against an approved sample. State whether the drink is still or sparkling, its alcoholic strength, container capacity and closure.
Request batch results for alcoholic strength, residual sugar, acidity and sulphites, plus evidence supporting the proposed storage conditions and shelf life. Sulphites above 10 mg/litre in the finished drink require declaration on the label. Include the drink name, net quantity, alcoholic strength and UK business details in the label review.
Inspection checklist
Batch: compare aroma, sweetness, acidity, colour and sediment with the approved sample; investigate unexpected haze or sourness.
Laboratory: compare alcoholic strength and sulphites with the batch report and label; check residual sugar against the agreed specification.
Packaging: check fill levels, leaking closures, broken bottles, damp cartons and unexpected pressure in still mead.
Documents: match batch identifiers across bottles, cartons and reports; for organic stock, check the inspection certificate and recognised certification route. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspection.
What goes wrong
Residual sugar and unstable fermentation can cause unexpected gas, leaking closures and a changed flavour after shipment. A sweeter production batch can also differ noticeably from the approved sample. Ask the producer to explain its stabilisation process and provide batch-specific results before dispatch.
Costing customs duty alone leaves Alcohol Duty out of the landed-cost plan. Labels can also overlook sulphites, while organic paperwork may not match the shipment. UK-established alcohol wholesalers should confirm with HMRC whether approval is required or an exclusion applies. For retail sales from premises in England and Wales, arrange the premises licence with the local council before selling.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on mead from China?
Sparkling mead carries £16.00 per hectolitre. Still mead carries £6.40 in containers holding 2 litres or less, or £4.80 above 2 litres. Alcohol Duty is separate.
Does imported mead also pay Alcohol Duty?
Yes, alcoholic mead is liable to Alcohol Duty on import. Rates vary by strength band and are expressed per litre of pure alcohol. Agree the duty arrangements with your customs broker.
Can I import organic mead from China?
Check the recognised certification route first. Each organic consignment to Great Britain needs a certificate of inspection, and the exporter's control body and country must be on the non-UK organic registers.
What should I test before buying mead?
Check alcoholic strength, residual sugar, acidity and sulphites against the agreed specification. Compare flavour with the approved sample and check fermentation stability, closures and packaging.