Sourcing soya-bean oil from China
Soya-bean oil from China pays 6% UK duty crude and 8% refined when used for food, and 2% crude or 4% refined when declared for technical or industrial uses under authorised end use; crude oil for technical uses has a 0% suspension from 5 August 2026 to 2028. Food oil must meet labelling and contaminant rules, and buyers test acidity, peroxide value and colour.
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Duty by grade and use
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, heading 1507 covers soya-bean oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified. Crude oil, whether or not degummed, carried 6% on goods from China and other (refined) oil 8%. The lines for technical or industrial uses other than making food for human consumption carry 2% crude and 4% refined under authorised end use, and crude oil for technical uses has a 0% suspension from 5 August 2026 to 31 December 2028, declared with additional code 2710. There was no anti-dumping measure.
Chemically modified oils are heading 1518 (see our modified oils guide), and soya beans themselves 1201 (see our soya beans guide); confirm the commodity code. For edible mixtures, see our margarine and edible fat blends guide. For other plant oils, see our sesame oil and tung oil guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude oil, for technical or industrial uses | 1507 10 10 00 | 2% under end use; suspended to 0% (5 Aug 2026 to 2028) | None |
| Crude oil, other (food) | 1507 10 90 00 | 6% | None |
| Refined oil, for technical or industrial uses | 1507 90 10 00 | 4% under end use | None |
| Refined oil, other (food) | 1507 90 90 00 | 8% | None |
Food rules and VAT
Oil sold as food must be labelled under the retained Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 and meet the contaminant limits of retained Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 that apply to vegetable oils. VAT Notice 701/14 zero-rates food for human consumption unless it is in an excepted category, so food-grade oil is normally zero-rated; oil for technical uses is not food and is standard-rated.
Specifying soya-bean oil
Specify crude, degummed or refined, bleached and deodorised grade, free fatty acid, peroxide value, moisture and impurities, colour, phosphorus for crude oil, whether the beans are genetically modified or not, food or technical use, and packing in flexitanks, drums or bottles.
Worked duty example
An invented example rather than a quote: 20 tonnes of refined soya-bean oil for food use in flexitanks, commodity code 1507 90 90 00, bought for £22,000 free on board with £2,500 of freight and insurance, so the customs value is £24,500. Duty at 8% is £1,960. VAT Notice 701/14 zero-rates food for human consumption unless it falls in an excepted category, so import VAT on food-grade oil would normally be nil; confirm this for your product. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.
Inspection checklist
Quality: check free fatty acid, peroxide value, moisture and colour on the certificate, and test a sample on arrival.
Containers: check flexitank or drum cleanliness certificates and the previous cargo for food-grade shipments.
Documents: keep end-use authorisation evidence for technical-use lines.
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What goes wrong
Soya oil orders fail on oxidation, contamination and paperwork. Oil oxidises in hot transit, flexitanks carry residues from previous cargoes, and technical-use rates are claimed without end-use authorisation.
Test on loading and arrival and settle the end-use position first. See our quality inspection guide.
Cambridge China Bridge sources soya-bean oil for UK food and industrial buyers, checking the refinery and loading first. See factory verification.
Related guides: Sourcing fish oil from China. For other animal-derived fats, see our animal fat fractions sourcing guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK import duty on soya-bean oil from China?
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 27 September 2026, crude soya-bean oil for food carried 6% and refined 8% from China.
Is there a lower rate for industrial use?
Yes. Technical-use lines carry 2% crude and 4% refined under authorised end use, and crude technical oil is suspended to 0% from 5 August 2026.
Is soya-bean oil zero-rated for VAT?
Food-grade oil normally is under VAT Notice 701/14; oil for technical uses is standard-rated.
Where do soya beans go?
Soya beans are heading 1201, not 1507.