Sourcing raw kola nuts from China

Raw kola nut duty and organic controls

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 1 October 2026, raw kola nuts under 0802 70 00 00 carried 0% duty for goods from China. Heading 0802 covers other nuts, fresh or dried, whether shelled or peeled. The supplied kola-nut record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no tariff suspension.

The tariff attaches an organic-product import control. For organic consignments from China into Great Britain, obtain a Great Britain certificate of inspection for each consignment, including samples not intended for sale. Ask your customs broker to confirm the organic clearance documents before dispatch.

Confirm the species, condition and processing using our commodity code guide. Only the kola-nut line is shown here because the supplied tariff data contains no further kola-nut subdivisions. For other nuts in this heading, see walnuts and pine nuts.

Specify species, moisture and intended use

Ask for the botanical species, growing country and the Chinese supplier's role as grower, processor or trader. Specify raw kola nuts rather than an extract or prepared ingredient. Agree fresh or dried condition, shelled or unshelled presentation, whole or broken pieces, colour and acceptable insect damage.

Set a moisture specification appropriate to your intended use and storage arrangements. Agree packaging, storage instructions and batch sampling for mould, mycotoxins and microbiological quality. Imported nuts must meet the same food hygiene standards and procedures as food produced in Great Britain. Match laboratory reports to the actual shipment rather than a supplier's demonstration sample.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 100 kg of dried raw kola nuts, illustrative only under 0802 70 00 00, invoiced at £2,500 free on board, with £872 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,372. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,372, so it is £674.40. 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

Identity: compare the nuts with the approved sample and species description; check that the growing country and processing history match the purchase specification.

Condition: check moisture against the contract, cut open sampled nuts and inspect for internal mould, insect tunnels, unusual odour and discolouration.

Packaging: inspect liners, seals and cartons for tears, condensation and pest damage; check net weight and batch identification against the packing list.

Evidence: match sampled batches to laboratory reports and retain arrival samples; for an organic consignment, check that its certificate of inspection is available.

What goes wrong

A sample described simply as kola nuts leaves species, moisture and preparation unclear. A Chinese dispatch address also leaves the growing country unanswered. Resolve these points before approving the order, and keep an agreed reference sample.

Wet liners, condensation, insect damage or mould can make an apparently acceptable outer sample misleading. Check inside the packs and cut surfaces on arrival. Hold suspect batches apart while investigating with the supplier and laboratory; appearance alone cannot establish food safety.

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.