Sourcing selenium-enriched yeast from China
Selenium-enriched inactive yeast from China carries 0% duty across the relevant inactive-yeast lines. Food-supplement buyers should check the permitted selenium source and its composition, while feed buyers need a separate use assessment. Cambridge China Bridge sources selenium-enriched inactive yeast.
Inactive-yeast classification and duty
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 2102 covers active and inactive yeasts, other dead single-cell micro-organisms and prepared baking powders. This guide concerns selenium-enriched inactive yeast. The relevant inactive-yeast lines all carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no listed suspension.
The tariff attaches an organic-products import control. For goods from China sold as organic, confirm the applicable certificate and clearance requirements with your customs broker and approved organic control body before shipment. The certificate of inspection is issued by the exporter’s control body in the country of export.
The table shows candidate inactive-yeast lines, not an automatic classification for every selenium preparation. Confirm the commodity code using the full composition, intended use, physical form and immediate pack size. For the wider yeast family, see nutritional yeast flakes.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inactive yeast, non-feed, tablets, cubes or immediate packs not exceeding 1 kg | 2102 20 11 90 | 0% | None |
| Other inactive yeast, non-feed, including bulk powder | 2102 20 19 90 | 0% | None |
| Inactive yeast for feed, tablets, cubes or immediate packs not exceeding 1 kg | 2102 20 11 10 | 0% | None |
| Other inactive yeast for feed, including bulk powder | 2102 20 19 10 | 0% | None |
Specify the selenium source and intended use
Define whether the order is an ingredient for food supplements or an animal-feed product. Specify the yeast species and strain, inactivation process, selenium enrichment process, total selenium assay, selenium species profile, moisture, particle size and any carriers. Ask for production-batch results and the analytical methods used.
Food-supplement guidance identifies permitted mineral forms. Assess the offered material against the applicable selenium-source specification. The GB food-fortification register’s selenium-enriched yeast specification limits other organic selenium compounds, including selenocysteine, to 10 % of total extracted selenium. Treat this as a composition check, not a complete compliance assessment.
Feed additives are authorised for specific purposes. For a feed order, ask your adviser to check the exact product and proposed use before accepting the supplier’s description. Agree separate specifications for supplement and feed purchases.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 100 kg of bulk selenium-enriched inactive yeast powder for supplement manufacture; values are illustrative, not a quotation under 2102 20 19 90, invoiced at £2,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £3,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £3,500, so it is £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 species, strain, enrichment process and carrier declaration to the approved specification; check evidence of inactivation.
Selenium: test representative batch samples for total selenium and the agreed selenium species profile; match results to the batch certificate.
Condition: check moisture, caking, foreign material and the agreed microbiological and contaminant results.
Packing: check moisture-barrier seals, net weight, batch references, date codes and correspondence between labels, certificates and delivered bags.
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What goes wrong
A total selenium result can leave the selenium species profile unresolved. Other purchasing failures include an undeclared carrier, a certificate covering a different batch, uneven assay results between bags and moisture entering damaged packaging.
Hold a disputed batch apart from accepted stock while checking retained samples and production records. Agree the sampling method and acceptance criteria before shipment, and arrange testing and certification support around the intended use.
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 selenium-enriched yeast from China?
The relevant inactive-yeast lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty or suspension. Confirm the code from composition, form, packing and use.
Is a total selenium certificate enough?
It does not establish the selenium species profile. Request batch-specific results for total selenium and the agreed selenium compounds, with analytical methods and matching batch references.
Can I use feed-grade selenium yeast in food supplements?
Do not approve it on the grade description alone. Check identity, composition and the permitted mineral source against food-supplement guidance before purchasing.
What should I check for organic selenium yeast?
The tariff attaches an organic import control. Confirm the certificate and clearance requirements with your broker and organic control body; the exporter’s control body issues the certificate of inspection.