Sourcing pasteurised liquid egg yolks from China
Pasteurised liquid egg yolks from China carry £51.00 duty per 100 kg, rather than a percentage duty range. GB imports need an approved origin and establishment, health certification and veterinary checks. Confirm eligibility before ordering. Cambridge China Bridge sources pasteurised liquid egg yolks.
Liquid-yolk duty and import controls
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0408 covers eggs without shells and egg yolks in several forms. Food-grade liquid yolks fall under 0408 19 81 00, carrying £51.00 per 100 kg for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line.
The tariff attaches veterinary control and organic import control. For GB, check country approval, the residue-control listing and establishment approval; obtain the appropriate health certificate and use a relevant border control post. Confirm advance notification and the appropriate import notification system with APHA or your customs broker. Customs release requires the animal-product common health entry document. Organic consignments also need an inspection certificate and checks against the recognised organic registers.
Confirm the formulation and physical state with your broker using finding your commodity code. See the wider egg-products guide for neighbouring classifications. Only the liquid-yolk line is shown because dried, frozen and non-food yolks fall outside this guide. A percentage-duty worked example is inapplicable to this weight-based line.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food-grade liquid egg yolks | 0408 19 81 00 | £51.00 per 100 kg | None |
Specify the yolk formulation and cold chain
Specify the bird species, yolk-only formulation, any added salt or sugar, solids content, colour and viscosity. Agree a functional trial in your mayonnaise, custard or bakery recipe. Ask for pasteurisation records, the manufacturer's storage instructions, unopened shelf life and instructions after opening.
Before ordering, confirm the actual processing establishment's approval and the origin's eligibility with APHA. Egg-product imports require an approved establishment and the appropriate health certificate. The origin also needs the relevant residue-control approval. Ask for the Chinese competent authority's consignment declaration and matching chemical-test results, including chloramphenicol and nitrofuran metabolites.
For prepacked blends sold in the UK, check that allergenic ingredients are emphasised in the ingredients list and that label information is in English. For an organic order, obtain the consignment inspection certificate issued by the exporter's control body and verify the relevant organic register entries.
Inspection checklist
Batch evidence: match the factory, product description and lot marks to the health certificate, processing records and laboratory reports.
Cold chain: review loading, transit and arrival temperature records against the manufacturer's agreed storage instructions; record any unexplained gaps.
Packaging and contents: check seals, leaks, swelling, net contents and remaining shelf life; compare colour, separation and viscosity with the approved sample.
Recipe performance: run the agreed application trial and compare emulsification or setting behaviour before accepting the batch. Arrange quality inspection around the agreed specification.
What goes wrong
A pasteurisation claim does not establish import eligibility. Missing establishment approval, mismatched documents or incomplete residue evidence can undermine the shipment. If the plant is absent from the relevant approved list at veterinary checks, the consignment could be rejected, re-exported or destroyed.
Liquid yolks can arrive with leaking seals, unexplained temperature excursions or inconsistent solids content. Added salt or sugar can change recipe performance, while an unsuitable heat treatment can change viscosity. Agree acceptance criteria and the evidence needed to resolve a disputed batch before placing the order.
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 pasteurised liquid egg yolks from China?
The supplied tariff record gives £51.00 per 100 kg under 0408 19 81 00, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension. This is a weight-based duty.
Can I import Chinese pasteurised liquid egg yolks into Great Britain?
Confirm the origin's egg-product and residue-control approvals and the factory's establishment listing with APHA before ordering. A tariff code alone does not establish eligibility.
Does pasteurisation remove the veterinary import controls?
No. Egg-product imports still require the relevant approvals and health certification, and entry through a relevant border control post. Confirm advance notification arrangements with APHA or your customs broker.
What should I specify when buying liquid egg yolks?
Specify species, added salt or sugar, solids content, colour, viscosity, pasteurisation evidence, storage instructions, packaging and shelf life. Test the sample in your own recipe.