Sourcing melon seeds from China

Melon seed duty and organic import control

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, heading 1207 covers other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, whether or not broken. Watermelon seeds use 1207 70 00 10; other melon seeds use 1207 70 00 90. Both carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension listed. The table shows whole seeds and kernels under the relevant lines.

Both melon-seed lines carry an import control of organic products. Before ordering organic goods from China, ask your customs broker to confirm the certification and clearance requirements for your consignment. The certificate of inspection is issued by the exporter’s control body in the country of export. Confirm the paperwork before accepting organic descriptions on the packaging.

Check the species, processing and intended use through our commodity code guide. Roasted or salted seeds are prepared foods under heading 2008. For the wider heading, see sesame and pumpkin seeds. Confirm the VAT treatment with HMRC or your customs broker, including whether packaging and selling the seeds as bird food or pet food affects it. See import duty and VAT.

Specify the melon species and kernel grade

Name the botanical species and intended food use rather than ordering simply as melon seeds. Specify whole seeds or hulled kernels, raw or processed condition, colour, size, flavour and the acceptable proportions of broken kernels, shell fragments and foreign material. Keep an approved sample for comparison with the shipment.

Agree moisture, purity and packaging specifications in the contract. Confirm the applicable aflatoxin and pesticide residue limits for food-grade seeds with the relevant food authority. Arrange batch testing for these contaminants and salmonella, and check whether the factory also handles sesame. Link each laboratory report to the supplied batch through our testing and certification service.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 kg of raw watermelon seed kernels for food manufacture under 1207 70 00 10, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,400, so it is £680. 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 species, seed shape, shell colour and kernel appearance with the order and approved sample.

Grade: draw samples across the consignment and check size consistency, broken kernels, remaining shells, stones and other seeds against the contract.

Condition: check moisture results, unusual odours, mould, insects, damaged liners and signs of water entering the bags.

Batch records: match bag markings, packing records and laboratory reports. For organic goods, have the broker check the import documents before shipment.

What goes wrong

A shipment described only as melon seeds can arrive with the wrong species or a different shell-to-kernel balance. Mixed grades, excessive shell fragments and broken kernels change processing yield. Damp bags and poor storage can lead to mould or rancid odours, while a clean-looking sample cannot establish that contaminant limits are met.

Keep suspect bags separate while investigating and compare arrival samples with the agreed specification. Resolve missing batch reports and organic paperwork before releasing stock for sale. A roasted or salted product also needs its classification checked rather than being declared automatically as raw melon seeds.

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.