Sourcing rabbit feed pellets from China
The selected low-milk rabbit feed lines carry £19 to £85 per 1,000 kg; the listed pea protein ingredient carries 8%. For plant-based pellets, confirm feed business registration, labelling and additive authorisation requirements with the relevant feed authority. Cambridge China Bridge sources rabbit feed pellets.
Duty follows the pellet recipe
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 2309 covers preparations used in animal feeding. Rabbit feed preparations belong in the relevant other-feed branch, rather than the retail dog or cat food branch. This guide focuses on rabbit pellets; see the pet food and animal feed guide for the wider heading.
The selected low-milk compound-feed lines carry £19, £46 or £85 per 1,000 kg according to starch content. The listed high-protein pea ingredient carries 8%, but that is an ingredient line, not a general rate for finished rabbit pellets. These lines have no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty. The authorised-use soya concentrate suspension excludes mixtures and preparations. Confirm the commodity code using the full recipe, including starch, glucose, syrups and milk products.
The selected lines carry veterinary, organic and waste import controls; the starch-based lines also carry seal-product controls. Plant-based feed is not a product of animal origin. For animal ingredients, confirm Chinese country and plant eligibility, health certification, pre-notification and border checks before ordering. Confirm UK establishment, certification and inspection-certificate requirements for organic importers with the relevant organic control body and broker. Waste controls apply only to waste. Seal products require an exemption. Confirm applicable clearance requirements and any later waste export controls with your customs broker.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other rabbit feed preparations, starch up to 10%, milk products below 10% | 2309 90 31 99 | £19.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Other rabbit feed preparations, starch over 10% to 30%, milk products below 10% | 2309 90 41 89 | £46.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Other rabbit feed preparations, starch over 30%, milk products below 10% | 2309 90 51 90 | £85.00 per 1000 kg | None |
| Pea protein ingredient for pellet manufacture, protein over 65% on a dry weight basis | 2309 90 96 95 | 8% | None |
Specify the rabbit pellet recipe and physical quality
State whether the pellets are intended as complete or complementary feed, the rabbit life stage and the feeding instructions you want assessed. Fix the forage sources, cereal ingredients, protein ingredients and additive list in writing. Agree crude fibre, protein, fat, ash, moisture and starch specifications with a feed specialist. Specify pellet diameter, length, hardness, acceptable fines and bag construction against approved samples.
Confirm feed-business registration requirements with the relevant feed authority. Ask the authority to confirm the prescribed labelling of feed type, composition, analytical constituents and additives, and the authorisation status of the additives in Great Britain. Request the recipe and analysis before approving artwork. Agree contaminant testing and shelf-life evidence through testing and certification support. The percentage-duty worked example concerns a pea protein ingredient for pellet manufacture, rather than finished rabbit pellets.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 12 tonnes of pea protein ingredient for rabbit pellet manufacture, rather than finished rabbit pellets under 2309 90 96 95, invoiced at £30,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £33,500. Duty at 8% is £2,680. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £36,180, so it is £7,236. Import taxes total £9,916; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,680 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
Recipe: compare the production ingredient and additive records with the approved formula; investigate substitutions or changes in forage source.
Analysis: independently sample the shipment and compare fibre, protein, fat, moisture, ash and starch with the specification and label; agree toxin and microbiological testing with the laboratory.
Pellets: check dimensions, hardness and fines after handling; open bags from different parts of the shipment and look for crumbling, caking, insects, mould or unusual odours.
Packs and records: check seals, net weight, batch references, best-before information and storage instructions; match the bags to the batch analysis and import documents.
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What goes wrong
A factory sample can remain intact while production pellets crumble during transport. Ingredient substitutions can change fibre, protein and starch, affecting both the agreed feeding specification and tariff classification. Compare shipment samples with retained approval samples and agree independent sampling through the quality inspection guide.
Damp pellets can cake or develop mould inside apparently sound bags. Check the condition inside the packaging on arrival, retain affected samples separately and hold suspect stock for investigation. Missing batch links make laboratory reports difficult to assess. Settle the recipe, packaging and document checklist before loading, including any organic or animal-ingredient clearance questions.
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 rabbit feed pellets from China?
The selected low-milk rabbit feed lines carry £19, £46 or £85 per 1,000 kg, depending on starch content. The separate pea protein ingredient line carries 8%. Confirm the finished pellet recipe before choosing a code.
Can I import plant-based rabbit pellets from China?
Plant-based feed is not a product of animal origin. Confirm feed registration, labelling and additive requirements with the relevant feed authority. Confirm the recipe and applicable tariff controls with your customs broker before ordering.
Do retail rabbit pellets use dog and cat food codes?
The retail dog or cat food branch describes those animals specifically. Check rabbit pellets against the other-feed preparation lines using the full composition, rather than the pack size alone.
What should I test before accepting rabbit pellets?
Compare independently sampled pellets with the agreed fibre, protein, fat, moisture, ash and starch specification. Check fines and hardness, and ask the laboratory to define suitable contaminant and microbiological tests.