Sourcing raw dried coconut chips from China

Duty and organic import controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0801 covers fresh or dried coconuts, Brazil nuts and cashew nuts, whether or not shelled or peeled. All supplied lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension listed. This guide concerns unroasted, unsweetened dried coconut chips.

The tariff attaches an organic-products import control. For organic chips from China entering Great Britain, each consignment needs an inspection certificate, issued by the exporter’s control body in the country of export. Your importing company must be based and certified in the UK. Confirm the organic paperwork with your control body before shipment.

For desiccated chips, check 0801 11 00 00 against the actual drying process and ingredients. The table shows buying variants sharing that tariff line, rather than separate commodity codes. Have your broker confirm the commodity code from the specification and sample. See the wider desiccated coconut guide.

Specify the cut and what raw means

Describe the product as coconut flesh sliced and dried, without roasting, frying, added sugar or seasoning. State whether the brown skin is removed, and agree chip thickness, width, colour, texture, broken pieces and fines against a retained sample. Ask for the growing country as well as the processing and packing locations.

Define the drying method and temperature profile instead of accepting an unexplained raw claim. Agree moisture, water activity, remaining shelf life and sealed liner construction. Ask whether processing includes a microbial reduction step, and agree batch testing with a food laboratory, including Salmonella testing appropriate to the intended use.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 tonnes of raw dried coconut chips under 0801 11 00 00, invoiced at £20,000 free on board, with £1,800 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £21,800. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £21,800, so it is £4,360. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. 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

Cut: compare chips drawn from different cartons with the retained sample, including thickness, brown skin, broken pieces and powder.

Condition: measure moisture against the contract and inspect for mould, insects, shell fragments, discolouration and rancid odours.

Packing: check liner seals, punctures, damp cartons and net weight. Match batch references on packs to the inspection and laboratory reports.

Labels: compare the product description, date marking and storage instructions with the agreed artwork. Food businesses must include a business name and address on the packaging or food label. Check the consignment certificate where the chips are sold as organic.

What goes wrong

Thin chips can arrive as fragments and powder after rough handling. Inadequate drying or leaking liners can leave soft, damp or mouldy product, while warm storage can produce rancid odours. Approve the packed product, then inspect arrival samples before releasing stock.

A supplier may use raw to describe chips that have undergone a drying or treatment process the buyer did not expect. Request the process record before approving that description. Food must not be placed on the market if it is unsafe, so appearance and a supplier’s raw claim cannot replace a safety assessment.

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.