Sourcing Rapeseed Honey from China

Rapeseed honey duty and import controls

Heading 0409 covers natural honey. Rapeseed honey falls under 0409 00 00 90, the line for honey other than Mānuka. Bulk drums and retail jars use this same line when the contents remain natural honey. See the wider honey sourcing guide.

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 3 November 2026, rapeseed honey from China carries 16% duty. The supplied line records no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. Veterinary control applies: confirm country eligibility, establishment registration, a health certificate, IPAFFS pre-notification and entry through a suitable border control post before ordering.

The UK Trade Tariff also attaches an organic-products import control. For organic honey, confirm the inspection-certificate requirement with your customs broker and organic control body; the exporter’s control body issues the certificate in the country of export. Confirm the exact product using finding your commodity code, particularly if ingredients have been added.

Specify floral identity and crystallised texture

Specify rapeseed floral origin, Chinese harvest origin, bulk or retail packing and the intended texture. Rapeseed honey crystallises readily, so agree whether you want naturally set honey, a controlled fine-crystal texture or liquid honey for further processing. Keep an approved sample showing the agreed colour, flavour and consistency.

Ask for harvest and blending records and specialist pollen analysis to support the rapeseed claim. Agree batch testing for added syrups, moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural, diastase activity and veterinary-drug and pesticide residues. Floral identification and syrup detection answer different questions; ask the laboratory to address both.

Ask the relevant authority to confirm the composition and labelling rules for honey in England and elsewhere in the UK, including harvest-country information. Agree the label artwork and food-grade drums or jars before production.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 20 tonnes of rapeseed honey in drums for a honey packing business under 0409 00 00 90, invoiced at £42,000 free on board, with £3,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £45,500. Duty at 16% is £7,280. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £52,780, so it is £10,556. Import taxes total £17,836; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £7,280 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

Identity: match batch marks to harvest records, floral-origin evidence, laboratory reports and the health certificate; retain a sealed reference sample.

Texture: compare arrival samples with the approved sample for crystal size, spreadability, separation, colour and flavour. Record the condition before warming or mixing.

Composition: review batch results for moisture, hydroxymethylfurfural, diastase activity, authenticity and residues; investigate fermentation odours or unexplained differences between samples.

Packing: check drum linings, jar closures, seals, leaks, lot marks and origin labels. Include these checks in your inspection brief.

What goes wrong

An order described simply as liquid honey can arrive set, leaving the buyer with an unsuitable filling or dispensing product. Agree the delivery texture and handling method. Coarse crystals or separation can also differ from the approved sample. Repeated heating to restore fluidity can damage honey quality; review processing records alongside laboratory results.

A rapeseed description without supporting floral evidence leaves the buyer unable to assess the claim. Added syrup, excessive moisture, overheating and residue failures are separate problems. Test the shipment batch before dispatch, then compare arrival samples and paperwork before releasing it for packing or sale.

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.