Sourcing squid meal from China

Squid meal duty and import eligibility

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, squid flour, meal and pellets unfit for human consumption fall within heading 2301. The relevant line is 2301 20 00 00, covering meals of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates. The forms in the table share that tariff line.

The supplied tariff record shows 0% duty for goods from China, no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. It attaches veterinary, CITES, organic-product and waste import controls. Animal by-product imports require pre-notification through IPAFFS and entry through an approved border control post. The tariff also attaches CITES and waste export controls; confirm their relevance if subsequently exporting.

Confirm the commodity code using the species, processing method, composition and intended use. Give your broker these details and ask which attached controls apply. For the wider heading, see fishmeal and animal meal. A duty rate does not establish import eligibility.

Specify the squid material and feed use

State the squid species, whether the meal comes from whole animals or processing offcuts, and whether other animal proteins are present. Agree crude protein, moisture, fat, ash, salt, particle size and packaging against a representative sample. Ask for the processing record, additive declaration and batch analysis.

Before ordering, ask APHA to confirm the applicable import route and China's safeguard coverage. Animal-origin products from China for feed use are prohibited unless covered by the safeguard's permitted list. Processed animal protein must come from an approved establishment and carry the appropriate health certificate. If the shipment follows the fishmeal feed route, border microscopy sampling and a hold pending the result apply.

Ask the relevant feed authority to confirm feed importer registration and feed-material naming and declaration requirements. Check applicable undesirable-substance limits. For organic claims, the tariff attaches an organic import control: confirm the requirement with your customs broker and organic control body. For CITES, confirm the species and permit position. If classified as waste subject to notification, the exporter must obtain consent through the dispatch country's authority.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 12 tonnes of squid meal; values are illustrative, not a quotation 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 species, raw-material description and producing plant to the agreed specification and shipment documents.

Analysis: independently sample the shipment and compare protein, moisture, fat, ash and salt with the contract; retain sealed samples for disputes.

Condition: inspect for damp lumps, mould, insects, foreign matter, rancid odour and damaged bag liners before accepting delivery.

Documents and labels: match batch identifiers across bags, analysis and health paperwork. Processed animal protein labels must indicate that it is not for human consumption.

What goes wrong

Watch for excessive ash or salt, diluted protein, coarse particles, moisture uptake and oxidation. A supplier's selected sample may conceal variation across the shipment. Agree independent sampling and acceptance criteria before production, then compare arrival samples with retained dispatch samples.

An unlisted producing plant can leave a shipment held or rejected. Confirm the actual processor rather than relying on a trader's name, and resolve the China safeguard question before paying for production. Ask your broker to confirm the attached CITES, organic and waste controls where their application remains uncertain.

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.