Sourcing Pickled Radish from China

Duty on radish preserved in vinegar

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 24 October 2026, heading 2001 covers edible plant products prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid. For radish within its residual vegetable lines, 2001 90 97 91 covers goods without added sugar and 2001 90 97 99 covers other goods. Both carry 16% duty from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for these lines.

The tariff attaches veterinary control and import control of organic products. For organic radish from China into Great Britain, obtain a certificate of inspection for each consignment and check the exporter’s control body and export country against the non-UK organic registers. The exporter’s control body issues the certificate. For veterinary control, ask your customs broker to confirm the requirement against the complete recipe, particularly any animal-derived seasoning.

These rows show different radish cuts sharing the same tariff lines. Confirm the preservation method and added sugar using finding your commodity code. Do not classify salt-fermented radish from its product name alone. See the wider pickles and vegetables guide for the rest of the heading.

Specify the radish, pickle liquor and cut

Agree the radish variety, peeled or unpeeled finish, slices or strips, cut dimensions, crunch and acceptable colour against an approved sample. State whether colour comes from the ingredients or added colouring. Record the complete recipe, including sugar, vinegar, salt, spices, preservatives and any animal-derived seasoning.

Set the drained weight, total fill, acidity, salt level, sweetness, heat treatment, shelf life and storage instructions. Choose jars or pouches and agree closure and transport packing. Confirm with the relevant food authority the authorisation and declaration requirements for colours and preservatives, and obtain evidence that the packaging is suitable for acidic food.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 1 tonne of sweetened radish slices in vinegar, packed in catering pouches under 2001 90 97 99, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £2,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £4,500. Duty at 16% is £720. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £5,220, so it is £1,044. Import taxes total £1,764; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £720 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

Radish: compare cut size, crunch, colour and flavour with the approved sample; check for woody pieces and excessive broken strips.

Fill: drain and weigh sampled packs against the declared drained weight. Food packaged in liquid must show drained net weight.

Stability: check acidity and the batch’s processing records; investigate gas, bulging packs, leaking seals or unexpected cloudiness.

Labels and packing: check ingredients, emphasised allergens, additives, net and drained weights, and the UK business name and address. Match batch markings to reports and examine jars or pouch seams after transport. Use the quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Radish can arrive soft, unevenly cut or different in colour and sweetness from the sample. Excess pickle liquor reduces the usable drained quantity. Recipe changes can also leave the printed ingredients and allergen information out of step with the goods.

Insufficient acidity or ineffective heat treatment can allow fermentation and swollen packs. Leaking pouch seams and broken jars create further losses. Agree batch release checks before shipment, then repeat the physical and drained-weight checks on arrival.

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.