Sourcing Salmon Meal from China

Salmon meal classification and duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 2301 covers animal meals and pellets unfit for human consumption. Salmon meal falls within the fish and aquatic invertebrate line, 2301 20 00 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions.

The tariff attaches veterinary, CITES, organic and waste import controls to this line. Production must be at an establishment approved to export to Great Britain, and consignments must enter through an approved border control post. Ask your customs broker to confirm China-specific eligibility, health certification and veterinary clearance arrangements. Confirm any applicable CITES and waste requirements with the broker. For organic claims, arrange the inspection certificate with the exporter's control body.

The supplied facts contain only this salmon-relevant commodity line. Confirm the commodity code using the species, composition, processing and intended use. For wider heading context, see the tuna meal guide.

Specify salmon identity, oil and ash

Specify the salmon species, raw-material origin and whether the meal comes from whole fish or processing trimmings. Require disclosure of other fish species, added ingredients and antioxidants. Agree crude protein, residual oil, moisture, ash, salt and particle size, with a named sampling and laboratory method.

Agree oxidation checks with the laboratory, especially where residual oil is important to the buyer's formulation. Record drying conditions, packaging, storage instructions and the basis for the declared shelf life. Request batch-specific analysis and retain a representative loading sample.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 12 tonnes of salmon meal for animal feed under 2301 20 00 00, 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 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £33,500, so it is £6,700. 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: match the declared salmon species, raw materials and ingredients to the contract; investigate unexpected fillers or mixed-species material.

Analysis: independently sample the shipment and compare protein, oil, moisture, ash, salt and agreed oxidation results with the specification.

Arrival condition: inspect for damp bags, caking, mould, heating and rancid odour; photograph affected packs and retain separate samples.

Documents and packaging: match batch references across bags, analysis reports and shipment documents; check seals, bag integrity and net weight. Use the quality inspection guide to brief the inspector.

What goes wrong

A salmon meal description can conceal mixed fish inputs or a different proportion of bone and trimmings. The result may be higher ash, lower protein or an unsuitable oil content. Fix the composition in writing and compare independent shipment samples with the approved sample.

Residual oil can become rancid, while moisture ingress can cause caking and mould. Agree packaging and storage conditions before loading. Establishment approval and shipment paperwork also need checking before dispatch; a satisfactory laboratory report does not settle import eligibility.

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.