Sourcing oilcake and soybean meal from China
Oilcake and meal from China, the solid residue left after extracting oil from soybeans, rapeseed, cottonseed, sunflower, linseed, palm kernel and other seeds, pays 0% UK duty on every line, with no anti-dumping duty. As feed materials they must meet feed labelling and undesirable substance limits, such as gossypol and aflatoxin B1. Cambridge China Bridge sources them.
Soybean meal, rapeseed meal, cottonseed and sunflower cake and other oilcakes from China pay 0% UK duty. Feed rules, gossypol and aflatoxin limits, tests.
0% duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, oilcake and other solid residues from the extraction of soya-bean oil (2304 00 00 00) and from other vegetable fats and oils (all eleven lines of 2306) carried 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure. The lines carry the organic import control, which applies only when sold as organic.
Complete feeds and pet food are in our pet food and animal feed guide; confirm the commodity code from the seed the meal is made from.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soya-bean oilcake and meal | 2304 00 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Of cotton seeds | 2306 10 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Of sunflower seeds | 2306 30 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Of low erucic acid rape or colza seeds | 2306 41 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Of palm nuts or kernels | 2306 60 00 00 | 0% | None |
| Other oilcake | 2306 90 90 00 | 0% | None |
Feed rules
Importers of feed must be registered as feed businesses under retained Regulation (EC) No 183/2005 on feed hygiene, and feed materials must be labelled with their name and statutory declarations under retained Regulation (EC) No 767/2009. Maximum levels for undesirable substances, including aflatoxin B1, free gossypol in cottonseed products and heavy metals, are set by Directive 2002/32/EC as it applies in Great Britain.
Meal from genetically modified soya, rapeseed or cotton must be labelled as genetically modified feed, so ask for identity preservation or GM status on every lot. Our NPK fertiliser guide covers another bulk agricultural input.
Specifying meal
Meal is bought on crude protein, oil, fibre, moisture and ash, with urease activity for soybean meal, glucosinolates for rapeseed meal and free gossypol for cottonseed meal, and on whether it is expeller cake or solvent-extracted meal. Moisture and heat in the hold cause mould and self-heating, so specify moisture at loading and ventilation.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 500 tonnes of rapeseed meal for compound feed, commodity code 2306 41 00 00, bought for £110,000 free on board, with £20,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £130,000. The duty rate is 0%. Feeding stuffs for food-producing animals are generally zero-rated for VAT under VAT Notice 701/15, so in that case no import VAT is charged either, but pet food and some other uses are standard-rated, so check the liability. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Sampling: have an independent inspector sample the lot by the method of ISO 6497, so the analysis represents the whole cargo rather than a sample chosen at the plant.
Analysis: test crude protein to ISO 5983-1, moisture to ISO 6496 and fat to ISO 6492, and aflatoxin B1 and, for cottonseed meal, free gossypol against the feed limits, in a UK laboratory for the first lot.
Condition and GM status: check the meal is free-flowing, cool and free of mould or insects at loading, and check the GM declaration and feed labelling on every bag or bulk document.
What goes wrong
Oilcake fails on protein, moisture and contaminants. Protein comes in below the contract, moisture lets mould grow and the cargo heats in the hold, aflatoxin or gossypol exceeds the feed limits, meal is adulterated with cheaper fillers, and an undeclared GM origin breaks the buyer's supply chain.
Use independent sampling and a UK laboratory for the first lot, set moisture and protein limits in the contract, and check GM status before shipping. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources soybean, rapeseed and other meals for feed compounders and merchants, usually by the full container or bulk parcel. See container programmes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on soybean meal from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, soya-bean oilcake and meal (2304 00 00 00) carried 0% from China.
Is animal feed zero-rated for VAT?
Feeding stuffs for food-producing animals generally are under VAT Notice 701/15; pet food is standard-rated.
What limits apply to cottonseed meal?
Free gossypol and aflatoxin B1 must be within the feed maximum levels of Directive 2002/32/EC as it applies in Great Britain.
Do feed importers need registering?
Yes, as feed businesses under the feed hygiene regulation 183/2005.