Sourcing pet food and animal feed from China
UK duty on dog and cat food from China depends on starch and milk content: 0% for many recipes, 8% with neither, and up to £793 a tonne with milk products; other feeds follow the same test, from £19 to £793 a tonne, or 8% with neither. Pet food with animal products must come from an approved country and plant, be pre-notified on IPAFFS and pass border checks.
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Duty follows the recipe
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, retail dog and cat food is split by its starch and milk product content, with rates from 0% to £793 per 1,000 kg. Read on 27 September 2026, other animal feed preparations, including premixes and bulk dog or cat food, follow the same starch and milk test: from £19 per 1,000 kg with little starch and milk up to £793 per 1,000 kg with milk products, while those with no starch or milk carry 8%, fish solubles 2% and beet pulp with added molasses 12%. No line had an anti-dumping measure, and the heading carries a veterinary control measure. Two suspensions touch feed rather than pet food: lysine sulphate under 2309 90 96 96 is suspended to 0% until 31 December 2026, and listed soya protein concentrates under 2309 90 31 are 0% under authorised use until the end of 2026.
So the recipe sheet decides the duty. Give the commodity code check the starch, glucose and milk content by weight.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail dog or cat food, up to 10% starch, under 10% milk products | 2309 10 11 00 | 0% | None |
| Retail dog or cat food, up to 10% starch, 10% to under 50% milk products | 2309 10 13 00 | £416 per 1,000 kg | None |
| Retail dog or cat food, over 10% to 30% starch, under 10% milk products | 2309 10 31 00 | 0% | None |
| Retail dog or cat food, over 30% starch, under 10% milk products | 2309 10 51 00 | £85 per 1,000 kg | None |
| Retail dog or cat food, no starch, containing milk products | 2309 10 70 00 | £793 per 1,000 kg | None |
| Retail dog or cat food, no starch and no milk products | 2309 10 90 00 | 8% | None |
| Other feed preparations, up to 10% starch, under 10% milk products | 2309 90 31 99 | £19 per 1,000 kg | None |
| Other feed preparations, over 30% starch, under 10% milk products | 2309 90 51 90 | £85 per 1,000 kg | None |
| Other feed preparations, no starch, containing milk products | 2309 90 70 90 | £793 per 1,000 kg | None |
| Other feed preparations, no starch and no milk products | 2309 90 96 96 | 8% | None |
Approved plants and IPAFFS
Pet food containing animal products is a product of animal origin. GOV.UK guidance requires it to come from an approved non-EU country and an approved establishment, with a health certificate, pre-notification on IPAFFS and checks at a border control post. Check that the Chinese plant is listed for that product before you order.
Plant-based feed is not a product of animal origin, but feed law still applies to its labelling and additives. For bran and milling residues, see our bran and milling residues sourcing guide. For oilseed feed materials, see our oilcake and soybean meal sourcing guide.
Labels and additives
Pet food labels must state the type of food, composition, analytical constituents and additives in the prescribed form, and feed additives must be authorised in Great Britain. Ask for the recipe, the additive list and the laboratory analysis before the label artwork.
Chews, treats and toys are covered in the pet products guide. For feeding accessories, see our ceramic pet bowls guide.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 12 tonnes of retail pet treats without starch or milk products, commodity code 2309 10 90 00, bought for £30,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance, so £33,500 is the value customs works from. Duty at the 8% rate for pet food is £2,680. VAT at 20% applies to £36,180, so £7,236. A VAT-registered buyer usually recovers the VAT, so the border adds £2,680 to the landed cost. See calculating UK import duty and VAT for the method. Feed for animals such as poultry, horses and rabbits can be zero-rated under HMRC's VAT Notice 701/15, while food for pets is standard-rated.
Inspection checklist
Analysis against the label: test crude protein to ISO 5983-1, fat to ISO 6492, moisture to ISO 6496 and ash to ISO 5984 on retained samples from each lot, and compare with the declared analytical constituents within the tolerances in Annex IV of retained Regulation (EC) No 767/2009.
Microbiology and toxins: test processed pet food for Salmonella to ISO 6579-1 and for Enterobacteriaceae against the standards in Annex XIII of retained Regulation (EU) No 142/2011, and test cereal-based recipes for aflatoxin B1 against the maximum levels for feed. For cereal feed materials, see sourcing bran and milling residues.
Treats and packs: measure water activity on dried treats to ISO 18787 against the limit agreed for mould-free storage, check seals and net quantity on sampled packs, and match lot codes and best-before dates on cartons to the health certificate and test reports.
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What goes wrong
Pet food fails on the analysis, contamination and plant approval. Protein, fat and moisture that differ from the label beyond the permitted tolerances break pet food labelling rules, treats dried too little grow mould in the container, and recipes change between batches without notice. The most serious problems are contaminants and a producing plant that is not on the approved list for products of animal origin, which stops the consignment at the border.
Confirm the plant's approval and the health certificate before each shipment, test samples for analytical constituents, moisture, aflatoxins and salmonella in a UK laboratory, fix the recipe and additive list in writing, check water activity for treats, and match lot codes on cartons to the test reports.
Samples and shelf life
Test samples for the analytical constituents on the label and for contaminants, and agree the shelf life, packaging and storage in transit.
Cambridge China Bridge sources pet food and feed preparations, with plant approval, IPAFFS and label questions settled before the order. See how our sourcing service works. For the reverse trade, see exporting UK animal feed to China. For pet food specifically, see exporting UK dog and cat food to China.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on pet food from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 25 September 2026, retail dog and cat food ranged from 0% to £793 per 1,000 kg depending on starch and milk content; on 27 September other feed preparations ran from £19 to £793 per 1,000 kg by the same test, or 8% with neither starch nor milk.
Can any Chinese factory export pet food to the UK?
Not for pet food containing animal products. It must come from an approved country and establishment, with a health certificate and IPAFFS pre-notification.
Why does the milk content change the duty?
The tariff splits retail dog and cat food by starch and milk product content, and lines with milk products carry specific duties per tonne.
Does plant-based pet food need border checks?
It is not a product of animal origin, but feed law on labelling and additives still applies.