Sourcing Ovotransferrin from China
Candidate egg-albumin lines for ovotransferrin from China carry 0% duty for the unfit category, £103 per 100 kg for dried edible forms or £13 per 100 kg otherwise. Veterinary controls apply; confirm the exact classification and import route before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources ovotransferrin.
Ovotransferrin classification and duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 3502 covers albumins, albuminates and other albumin derivatives. The table selects egg-albumin lines to discuss with your broker for egg-derived ovotransferrin. These are candidate classifications, not a ruling for purified ovotransferrin. Distinguish dried material from other forms and establish whether it belongs in the unfit-for-human-consumption category. For the wider egg product, see egg albumen powder.
For these candidate lines, Chinese-origin goods carry 0% in the unfit category, £103 per 100 kg for other dried egg albumin, including crystals, and £13 per 100 kg for other non-dried egg albumin. No anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension is listed. All selected lines carry veterinary control, with a common health entry document for animal products attached in the tariff. Confirm how this applies to the exact grade and use.
For food use, confirm the Chinese product and factory's eligibility before ordering. Food egg products must come from an approved establishment; ask the animal health authority or your customs broker to confirm any advance import notification, health certificate and border control post requirements. For laboratory or industrial material, ask your broker to confirm the applicable documents and route. Confirm the commodity code using source, composition, processing, physical form and intended use.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried egg albumin unfit, or to be rendered unfit, for human consumption | 3502 11 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Dried egg albumin crystals, other than the unfit category | 3502 11 90 10 | £103.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Other dried egg albumin, other than the unfit category | 3502 11 90 90 | £103.00 per 100 kg | None |
| Non-dried egg albumin unfit, or to be rendered unfit, for human consumption | 3502 19 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Other non-dried egg albumin, other than the unfit category | 3502 19 90 00 | £13.00 per 100 kg | None |
Specify ovotransferrin identity and iron loading
Specify ovotransferrin explicitly, including the supplier's conalbumin synonym where used. Ask for the egg source, extraction and purification process, protein identity method and ovotransferrin purity method. A total-protein result alone is not your acceptance test for the named protein. Agree whether purity is reported on dry material or as supplied, and record any carrier, buffer or preservative.
Agree the required iron loading, moisture, solubility and storage conditions. If iron binding matters to your application, specify the functional test and compare the production batch with an approved sample. Request a batch certificate of analysis, supporting test results and a retained sample. For food proposals, assess novel-food status separately: if the product is a novel food, authorisation is required before sale in Great Britain.
If the consignment qualifies as research or diagnostic samples, confirm the applicable authorisation. Where no appropriate general authorisation exists, a specific authorisation is required from the animal health authority. Research samples cannot subsequently be used commercially. Do not assume this route covers stock intended for resale; have your broker confirm the route for that business model.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative only: 20 kg of dried laboratory ovotransferrin unfit for human consumption, conditional on confirmation of classification and the import route under 3502 11 10 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £18,000. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £18,000, so it is £3,600. 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.
Inspection checklist
Identity: match the ovotransferrin specification, egg source, batch number and container labels to the certificate of analysis; review the identity test rather than accepting a generic egg-protein description.
Purity and function: check the agreed purity method, moisture basis, iron loading and dissolution behaviour; repeat the functional test where your application depends on iron binding.
Packing and storage: check seals, moisture protection, caking and evidence of temperature exposure against the agreed transport and storage conditions.
Documents: match the shipment to the confirmed import route and batch records. For permitted prepacked consumer foods, check ingredients and emphasised allergens, including the egg source. Plan sampling with the inspection guide.
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What goes wrong
A supplier may quote total egg protein when the buyer expects purified ovotransferrin. Different purity methods, moisture bases or iron-loading states can make apparently similar certificates describe different material. Agree the identity and functional acceptance tests before manufacture, then compare the arriving batch with the retained sample.
A food-grade claim or a tariff code does not establish import eligibility. Check the food import route separately from the laboratory route, and investigate novel-food status before proposing food sales. A research-sample authorisation also does not provide a route for subsequent commercial use. Resolve these points before paying for production or dispatch.
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 ovotransferrin from China?
Candidate egg-albumin lines carry 0% for the unfit category, £103 per 100 kg for dried edible forms or £13 per 100 kg for other edible forms. Confirm classification; no trade remedy or suspension is listed.
Is ovotransferrin the same specification as egg albumen powder?
Do not use a generic egg-albumen specification. Name ovotransferrin, agree its identity and purity tests, and specify iron loading and any carriers. Total protein alone does not establish the agreed ovotransferrin purity.
Can I import ovotransferrin as a research sample?
Confirm that the consignment qualifies and that the appropriate authorisation covers it. Where no suitable general authorisation exists, obtain a specific one. Research samples cannot subsequently be used commercially.
Can I sell Chinese ovotransferrin as a food ingredient?
Confirm the product and factory's food-import eligibility and assess novel-food status. If it is a novel food, authorisation is required before sale in Great Britain. A supplier's food-grade claim does not settle these checks.