Sourcing soy sauce and condiments from China
Soy sauce from China carries 6% UK duty but is suspended to 0% from 21 June 2026 to 31 December 2028. Chilli, hoisin, oyster and most other sauces and seasonings pay 6%, tomato sauces 10% and prepared mustard 8%, with no anti-dumping duty. Soy sauce has a 3-MCPD limit of 20 µg/kg, and sauces with rice or animal-origin ingredients face border checks. Cambridge China Bridge sources sauces.
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Rates by sauce
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, heading 2103 splits sauces by type. Soya sauce has a 6% third-country rate but an autonomous suspension to 0% from 21 June 2026 to 31 December 2028, which does not cover mixtures or preparations containing it. Other sauces, mixed condiments and seasonings without tomato pay 6%, with a narrow 0% suspension for one fermented red cayenne pepper recipe only. Tomato ketchup and tomato sauces pay 10%, prepared mustard 8% and mustard flour 0%. Re-checked on 27 September 2026 across all 11 leaves: liquid mango chutney (2103 90 10 00) and listed aromatic bitters (2103 90 30 00) also carry 0%.
Soy-based marinades and dipping sauces that are more than soy sauce are usually other sauces at 6%, and seasoning cubes or soup bases may be soups in heading 2104; fix the recipe and confirm the commodity code before the first order. For chilli crisp, see our chilli crisp sourcing guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soya sauce | 2103 10 00 00 | 6%; suspended to 0% until 31 Dec 2028 | None |
| Tomato ketchup and other tomato sauces | 2103 20 00 00 | 10% | None |
| Mustard flour and meal | 2103 30 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Prepared mustard | 2103 30 90 | 8% | None |
| Mango chutney, liquid | 2103 90 10 00 | 0% | None |
| Other sauces and seasonings, not containing tomato | 2103 90 90 89 | 6% | None |
Food law at the border
Assimilated Regulation 1881/2006 sets a maximum of 20 µg/kg of 3-MCPD in soy sauce and hydrolysed vegetable protein, measured on the liquid at 40% dry matter, and acid-hydrolysed soy sauce is the usual failure. Labels must follow the Food Information Regulation, with soya, wheat, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, sesame and sulphites above 10 mg/kg emphasised as allergens, and MSG declared by name or E621.
The tariff also puts controls on some sauce lines. Products containing, consisting of or produced from rice from China need a common health entry document under the GM rice emergency measure, and sauces with meat, fish, shellfish, egg or dairy ingredients can be composite products needing a veterinary check, so oyster sauce and shrimp paste need their import route agreed before ordering. For hoisin, see our guide to sourcing hoisin sauce from China. Share the full recipe with the broker to check rice and animal ingredients before UK customs clearance for sauces.
Worked duty example
A hypothetical order, not a quote: 12 tonnes of chilli oil and chilli bean sauce in glass jars under 2103 90 90 89, bought for £24,000 free on board with £3,000 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £27,000. Duty at 6% is £1,620. Sauces are normally zero-rated food for VAT, so no import VAT is due and the £1,620 is the whole border cost. The same value of plain soy sauce under 2103 10 00 00 would currently pay no duty because of the suspension. See UK import duty and VAT for the method.
What goes wrong
Sauces fail on contaminants, labels and packaging. Soy sauce made with acid-hydrolysed protein can exceed the 3-MCPD limit, fermented products can carry high histamine or preservative levels outside UK additive rules, and recipes change between batches without notice. Undeclared wheat in soy sauce, missing allergen emphasis and Chinese-only labels stop products at retail, while glass jars break and lids leak when pallets are not strapped and cushioned.
Ask for the full recipe with percentages and the additive list, test the first batch in a UK laboratory for 3-MCPD, allergens and preservatives, approve an English label against the recipe, check fill weight and seal integrity at pre-shipment inspection, and keep retained samples with batch codes that match the pallets.
Cambridge China Bridge sources soy sauce, chilli sauces, cooking sauces and seasonings, with recipes, labels and laboratory tests agreed before shipment. See how we source food products. For the reverse trade direction, see our guide to exporting UK sauces to China.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on soy sauce from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, soya sauce has a 6% rate but is suspended to 0% from 21 June 2026 to 31 December 2028.
What duty do chilli and oyster sauces pay?
Other sauces not containing tomato pay 6%, and tomato sauces pay 10%.
Is there a 3-MCPD limit for soy sauce?
Yes. Assimilated Regulation 1881/2006 sets 20 µg/kg in soy sauce, measured on the liquid at 40% dry matter.
Do sauces with rice need border checks?
Yes. Products containing or made from rice from China need a common health entry document under the GM rice emergency measure.