Sourcing peat mushroom casing from China

Duty and the distinction between peat and casing blends

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2703 covers peat, including peat litter, whether or not agglomerated. The supplied tariff record contains a single commodity line, 2703 00 00 00, carrying 0% duty from China. It lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty, suspension or attached import control.

The table therefore contains only that line. It concerns pure, unused peat intended for preparing mushroom casing. For prepared mixtures, give your broker the complete recipe and confirm the commodity code. See horticultural peat moss for the wider product family.

The absence of an attached tariff control does not settle plant-health admissibility. Official guidance prohibits artificial growing media containing organic matter, except material composed entirely of unused peat. Soil from China requires authorisation. Before buying limed, blended or previously used casing, ask APHA to assess the composition and intended use.

Specify the casing recipe and peat structure

State whether you want pure peat for local preparation or a prepared casing blend. Request the peat source, previous-use declaration, complete ingredient list and details of any lime, soil, compost or other additions. Resolve import admissibility before approving a prepared blend.

Agree particle distribution, fibre content, moisture, bulk density, water absorption and drainage using stated test methods. For the prepared casing, agree acidity, conductivity and how the material behaves after wetting and spreading. Keep an approved sample and trial the proposed recipe with your mushroom crop before accepting production.

Ask for batch records covering screening, any treatment and packing. Specify bale condition, identification and storage instructions. Agree how samples will be taken and how results will be compared with the approved material.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 4 tonnes of pure, unused peat in palletised bales for preparing mushroom casing under 2703 00 00 00, invoiced at £4,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £5,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,800, so it is £1,160. 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 bale labels and batch records to the approved peat source, ingredient declaration and unused-material declaration.

Structure: examine representative samples for fines, coarse fibres, compacted lumps and foreign material; compare wetting and drainage with the approved sample.

Batch properties: check moisture, bulk density, acidity and conductivity against the purchase specification using the agreed methods.

Arrival condition: check torn wrapping, wet patches, leakage and visible insects; retain samples before mixing batches. Plan quality inspection around these checks.

What goes wrong

A supplier may use “peat casing” for a blend rather than pure peat. Lime, compost or soil additions change the declared composition, so send the actual recipe to APHA before ordering. Do not treat a familiar trade name or a zero duty rate as confirmation that a shipment is admissible.

A batch can match the sample in colour yet differ in moisture, fines or wetting behaviour. Compare measured properties and a growing trial, rather than appearance alone. Agree how to handle damaged bales and batches outside specification before 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.