Sourcing Spirulina blue colourant from China

0% duty on the relevant colouring-matter line

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 4 October 2026, heading 3203 covers colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin and preparations based on it, including dyeing extracts but excluding animal black. The relevant vegetable-origin line, 3203 00 10 00, carries 0% duty from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension listed. The table shows different supply forms under this same line.

The supplied tariff record attaches veterinary control, CITES import and export controls, and waste import and export controls. Confirm veterinary documentation or exemption with your customs broker for the exact formulation. CITES-listed species require permits; ask the broker to check the source species and ingredients. Waste shipment controls apply only to waste; if the material is waste, confirm the applicable procedure with the broker before shipping from China.

Use the full composition, extraction process and intended use to confirm the commodity code. Do not assume whole Spirulina biomass or every preparation belongs here. See the natural colours and dyes guide for the wider heading and import duty and VAT for the calculation method.

Specify the blue extract and its food-use status

Specify Spirulina blue colouring extract rather than whole green Spirulina powder. Ask for the source organism, extraction and purification process, complete composition, carriers and stabilisers. Request a documented assessment of whether the supplied grade is a colouring food or a food additive. Where it is a food additive, confirm its authorisation for the intended food and applicable purity specification with the Food Standards Agency.

For food imports into Great Britain, the importer must ensure the goods are safe and legal before import. Ask for evidence covering the exact supplied grade and intended application. A supplier's description of the product as natural or food grade is insufficient for your purchasing decision.

Agree powder or liquid form, colour strength and its measurement method, hue, dispersibility, moisture and storage instructions. Trial the sample in your actual recipe through heating, acidity changes, light exposure and storage. Record the approved result and require the supplier to disclose formulation changes. Use factory verification to check the extraction plant and its batch records.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: A batch of sealed powder bags for a small food manufacturer, illustrative only under 3203 00 10 00, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £25,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £25,500, so it is £5,100. 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.

Inspection checklist

Identity and composition: match the source organism, extraction records and declared carriers to the approved specification; investigate an unexplained green tint or changed composition.

Colour and application: compare colour strength and hue with the retained sample using the agreed method, then repeat the trial in your actual product.

Contaminants and records: review batch-specific results for heavy metals, residual extraction solvents and microbiological quality against the agreed specification; match the certificate to the delivered lot.

Packing and condition: inspect seals, moisture protection and light protection; check for caking, leakage or damaged liners, and compare batch details and storage instructions with the order. See quality inspection.

What goes wrong

A blue powder can match the sample visually yet deliver less colour in the recipe because its strength or carrier content differs. Other failures include an unwanted green cast, incomplete dispersion, fading during processing or storage, and caking after moisture enters the packaging. Compare batches in the finished application before releasing them to production.

A separate purchasing failure is accepting a generic food-grade declaration without resolving the extract's food-use status. Keep the process description, formulation, application assessment and batch evidence together. Hold a changed or unexplained batch while the supplier and your adviser resolve the difference.

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.