Sourcing ornamental fish feed from China
Selected low-milk ornamental fish feed lines carry £19 to £85 per 1,000 kg; the listed pea-protein ingredient carries 8%. Animal-origin recipes need an applicable import route confirmed before shipment, alongside feed labelling and authorised additives. Cambridge China Bridge sources ornamental fish feed.
Duty depends on the ornamental feed recipe
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 2309 covers preparations used in animal feeding. The selected prepared-feed lines with little or no milk carry £19, £46 or £85 per 1,000 kg according to starch content. The qualifying pea-protein ingredient carries 8% and is included for feed manufacture, rather than as finished fish food. These selected lines list no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.
The tariff attaches veterinary control. For the conventional processed-pet-food route, ask APHA and your broker to confirm country and establishment approval, health certification, advance notification and border-check requirements for the animal-origin product. Official ornamental-feed guidance also provides an alternative authorisation route for eligible products; approval is not guaranteed. Before ordering from China, ask APHA and your broker to confirm which route fits the ingredients, processing and final packaging, and the documents and entry arrangements it requires.
The selected lines also attach organic and waste import controls, with seal-product controls on the prepared-feed lines. Confirm organic importer location and certification requirements with an approved UK organic control body; confirm inspection certificates with your broker. Waste controls apply where the material is waste; notified waste needs competent-authority consent before shipment. Seal-derived ingredients fall within the seal-product ban; confirm any exemption before ordering. The record also lists waste export controls. Confirm the commodity code using the full recipe and analysis.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish feed with up to 10% starch and under 10% milk products | 2309 90 31 40 | £19.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Fish feed with over 10% to 30% starch and under 10% milk products | 2309 90 41 20 | £46.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Other feed preparations with over 30% starch and under 10% milk products | 2309 90 51 90 | £85.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| High-protein pea ingredient for feed manufacture, meeting this tariff description | 2309 90 96 95 | 8% | None |
Specify flakes, pellets and feeding behaviour
State the target ornamental fish, mouth size and whether the feed should float, sink slowly or reach the bottom. Choose flakes, granules or pellets, and agree particle consistency, dust content and how the feed behaves in aquarium water. Record crude protein, fat, fibre, ash, moisture and the complete ingredient list, including animal species and ingredient origins.
Freeze the recipe and additive list before approving packaging. Confirm pet-food labelling requirements with the competent authority, including how to declare the food type, composition, analytical constituents and additives; ask it to confirm the Great Britain authorisation status of each feed additive. Agree shelf life, moisture protection and storage conditions. For the wider feed family, see aquaculture feed pellets.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 500 kg of qualifying pea-protein ingredient for ornamental fish feed manufacture under 2309 90 96 95, invoiced at £3,500 free on board, with £2,680 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,180. Duty at 8% is £494.40. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £6,674.40, so it is £1,334.88. Import taxes total £1,829.28; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £494.40 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
Identity: compare flakes or pellets with the approved sample; check particle size, broken pieces, dust and unwanted fragments.
Water behaviour: compare floating or sinking behaviour and disintegration with the agreed aquarium trial; record clouding and colour release.
Batch analysis: independently sample the lot and compare protein, fat, moisture and ash with the contract and label; agree microbiological and contaminant testing with the laboratory.
Packs and documents: check seals, net contents, batch references and best-before markings; match reports and import documents to the shipment. Use the quality inspection guide to define the checks.
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What goes wrong
A feed sold as a sinking pellet can float or break apart before bottom-feeding fish reach it. Excess dust and fragile flakes make the pack differ from the approved sample. Damp packs can develop mould, while oily recipes can develop rancid odours. Compare retained production samples with arrival samples before releasing stock.
Undisclosed ingredient substitutions can change analysis, tariff classification and the applicable import route. A generic pet-food certificate or an authorisation application does not settle whether the actual shipment can enter. Resolve the route with APHA and the broker before dispatch, and keep recipe changes subject to written approval.
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 ornamental fish feed from China?
The selected low-milk prepared-feed lines carry £19, £46 or £85 per 1,000 kg, depending on starch content. The listed qualifying pea-protein ingredient carries 8%. These lines have no listed trade remedy or suspension.
Can I import ornamental fish food containing fish or insects?
Ask APHA to confirm the route for the exact recipe. Eligible ornamental feed has an alternative authorisation route, while conventional processed-pet-food conditions may apply. An application does not guarantee approval.
Do colour-enhancing fish food additives need approval?
Obtain the exact additive identities and ask the competent authority to confirm their authorisation status in Great Britain before approving the recipe or colour-enhancing label claims.
What should I check when fish flakes or pellets arrive?
Check moisture damage, rancid odour, dust, particle consistency, pack seals and batch identity. Compare water behaviour and batch analysis with the approved sample, contract and label.