Sourcing prepared fish cakes from China

Fish-cake duties and border controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 1604 covers prepared or preserved fish and fish-egg products. For fish cakes, the selected candidate lines carry 6% for other non-salmon salmonid preparations, 25% for bonito and Japanese mackerel preparations, and 20% for other tuna preparations. These are classification candidates, rather than codes determined by the product name. The supplied selection does not provide a complete code list for every fish-cake recipe.

The selected lines show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. The tuna line has an autonomous suspension, but its terms exclude mixtures and preparations made up of different components. Do not budget for that relief on mixed-ingredient fish cakes. The tariff attaches veterinary, illegal-fishing and organic import controls. Check establishment approval, advance notification, border arrangements and the applicable health documentation with your broker before shipment.

For wild-caught tuna, ask your broker to confirm whether a catch certificate is required. Ask your broker to confirm the catch-certificate and processing-statement requirements for the actual fish supply chain, and the veterinary entry document. For organic cakes, confirm inspection-certificate and certification arrangements with your organic control body; the exporter’s control body issues the inspection certificate. Confirm the commodity code using the full recipe and processing record. See the wider prepared fish guide.

Specify the fish, filling and cooking performance

Specify the fish species and fish content, whether the flesh is minced or flaked, and the potato, starch, oil, seasoning and coating ingredients. State whether the cakes are raw, pre-fried or fully cooked, and whether the buyer will sell them frozen or chilled. Agree portion weight, thickness, shape, coating coverage and pack format against an approved sample.

Compare samples after cooking by the intended method. Check whether the centre stays moist, the coating separates, the cake breaks during handling or excessive oil appears. Request the complete ingredient and allergen information, processing records and evidence supporting shelf life. Agree storage and cooking instructions, temperature-record access and batch identification before approving packaging.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative wholesale order of frozen trout fish cakes, subject to classification confirmation under 1604 20 30 90, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £4,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £34,000. Duty at 6% is £2,040. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £36,040, so it is £7,208. Import taxes total £9,248; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,040 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

Documents: match the factory approval, applicable health documents, fish species, recipe and batch identification to the shipment. Confirm the broker has checked the veterinary entry and fishing-document requirements.

Cold chain: review transport temperature records and inspect packs for damage, excessive loose ice, sticking and signs of thawing. Investigate suspect stock before release.

Portions and cooking: weigh sampled cakes, compare thickness and coating coverage, and cook samples against the retained approval sample. Check breakage, texture and coating adhesion.

Labels: check the food name, ingredient list with allergens emphasised, net quantity, date marking, storage instructions and food business name and UK address. Match the artwork to the actual recipe.

What goes wrong

A supplier changes the fish species or replaces fish with more starch while keeping the same product name. The texture and classification may change. A coating or seasoning change can also make the approved label inaccurate. Require written approval of recipe changes and retain samples from accepted batches.

Frozen cakes can arrive stuck together, broken or with loose coating, making portioning difficult. Agree arrival checks and record temperature evidence before discussing a claim. Documentary problems also arise when the recipe, factory approval and shipment records do not match. Use factory verification before committing to production.

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.