Sourcing mustard seeds from China

Mustard seed duty and organic controls

Heading 1207 covers other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, whether or not broken. Its mustard seed lines distinguish seeds for sowing from other uses. This guide covers mustard seeds; see the wider oil seed guide for sesame, pumpkin and related products.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, both mustard seed lines carried 0% duty on goods from China. Neither line listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty or a suspension. Both attach an import control of organic products. For organic consignments from China into Great Britain, confirm the certificate of inspection requirement with your customs broker. The exporter’s control body issues the certificate.

Use 1207 50 10 00 for mustard seeds for sowing and 1207 50 90 00 for other mustard seeds. Give your broker the intended use and details of any processing, then confirm the commodity code before ordering.

Specify the mustard variety and intended use

Specify yellow, brown or black mustard, the botanical identity, whole or broken seeds, colour, size, purity, foreign matter and moisture. Agree a retained sample and test the flavour and pungency in your intended recipe. Tell the supplier whether the seeds are for food manufacture, crushing or sowing.

Confirm applicable aflatoxin and pesticide residue limits for food seeds with the relevant food authority. Agree batch testing with a laboratory and match reports to the shipment. Mustard allergen rules apply to all types of mustard, and allergens must be emphasised whenever they appear in an ingredients list. Check shared cleaning and packing equipment for cross-contact risks.

An organic importer’s company must be based and certified in the UK. Check the organic certification and shipment paperwork before accepting an organic claim. For sowing orders, check plant health and seed marketing requirements separately from the food specification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 500 kg of cleaned mustard seeds for a food business, illustrative order under 1207 50 90 00, invoiced at £900 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £1,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £1,800, so it is £360. 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 and grade: compare drawn samples with the approved mustard variety, colour and size; check broken seeds, husks, stones and other seeds.

Condition: measure moisture against the contract and inspect for insects, mould, clumping, damp bags and unusual odours on arrival.

Batch evidence: match bag lot codes to laboratory reports for aflatoxins, pesticide residues and the agreed microbiological checks.

Packing and labels: check liners, seals, batch identification and mustard allergen wording; review organic paperwork where claimed. Use the inspection guide to agree sampling.

What goes wrong

A mixed mustard variety changes the colour and pungency of a sauce even when the bags look similar. Excess husk, stones or broken seeds reduce usable yield. Damp packing encourages mould and clumping, while shared equipment can introduce unwanted seeds or allergen cross-contact.

A generic laboratory report can describe a different lot from the shipment. Match the sampled batch to the bags before dispatch and keep a sealed retained sample. Missing organic paperwork leaves the organic claim unresolved; settle it with the broker and control body before 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.