Sourcing sweet chilli sauce from China
Sweet chilli sauce from China normally pays 6% UK duty; a product classified as tomato sauce pays 10%, giving a relevant range of 6% to 10%. The recipe determines classification and whether rice or animal-origin import controls apply. English labels must declare ingredients and emphasise allergens. Cambridge China Bridge sources sweet chilli sauce.
Sweet chilli sauce duty and recipe checks
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 2103 covers sauces, sauce preparations, mixed condiments, mixed seasonings and mustard. Ordinary sweet chilli sauce without tomato falls within the other-sauces route at 6%. Other sauces containing tomato also carry 6%, while tomato sauces carry 10%. The rows show recipe and packing variants, rather than distinct codes for each pack format.
The supplied tariff records show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty. The 0% suspension on 2103 90 90 89 is restricted to a specified fermented red cayenne pepper preparation containing 25% to 35% pepper, with further ingredient conditions and a mixtures exclusion. Do not assume ordinary sweet chilli sauce qualifies. The relevant other-sauce lines attach veterinary, organic and genetically modified organism controls.
Confirm with your customs broker whether Chinese rice ingredients trigger the GM rice emergency measure or require a common health entry document. Animal ingredients can bring composite-product questions; confirm eligibility and documents with your customs broker before ordering. Organic imports from China into Great Britain need a certificate of inspection for each consignment. Confirm the commodity code from the complete recipe. See the wider soy sauce and condiments guide.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet chilli sauce without tomato, retail bottles | 2103 90 90 89 | 6% | None |
| Other sweet chilli sauce containing tomato | 2103 90 90 19 | 6% | None |
| Tomato sauce with sweet chilli flavour | 2103 20 00 00 | 10% | None |
Specify the sweet chilli recipe and pack
Agree chilli variety, sweetness, acidity, garlic flavour, colour, visible chilli pieces and pouring consistency against an approved sample. Obtain the full recipe with ingredient percentages, starch source, vinegar source and additive names. Ask specifically about rice-derived ingredients, fish sauce, shrimp ingredients and shared production equipment.
Specify bottle or pouch material, closure, tamper evidence, net quantity, carton protection, storage conditions and shelf life. Confirm English labelling requirements with the relevant food authority, including the food name, ingredients with allergens emphasised, net quantity, dates, storage information and the UK business name and address. Agree batch tests and retain production samples.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 12 tonnes of bottled sweet chilli sauce without tomato under 2103 90 90 89, invoiced at £24,000 free on board, with £3,000 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £27,000. Duty at 6% is £1,620. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £28,620, so it is £5,724. Import taxes total £7,344; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £1,620 of duty. 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
Recipe and flavour: compare production samples with the approved sauce for sweetness, chilli heat, acidity, colour, chilli distribution and flow.
Batch evidence: match laboratory results and ingredient records to the shipment; investigate substitutions in starch, vinegar, preservatives or animal ingredients.
Labels: check the English artwork against the actual recipe, including allergen emphasis, net quantity, storage instructions and business details.
Packing: inspect seals, caps, leaks, pouch seams, glass damage and carton protection on arrival; reconcile batch markings with retained samples.
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What goes wrong
A sauce approved as thick and pourable arrives watery, overly sweet or unevenly filled. Chilli pieces settle, closures leak and glass breaks in transit. Record acceptance criteria against the approved sample and inspect both the sauce and its transport packaging.
An unreported change to rice starch, fish sauce or shrimp ingredients changes the border-control questions and the label review. Keep the approved recipe with the classification decision and stop shipment while discrepancies are resolved. Use quality inspection guidance to agree the checks.
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 sweet chilli sauce from China?
Ordinary other sweet chilli sauce carries 6%. A product classified as tomato sauce carries 10%. The supplied tariff records show no anti-dumping or countervailing duty.
Does the chilli sauce duty suspension cover sweet chilli sauce?
Do not assume it does. The 0% suspension covers a specified fermented red cayenne pepper preparation with ingredient conditions and a mixtures exclusion.
Can sweet chilli sauce containing rice face border checks?
Confirm with your customs broker whether the Chinese product's rice ingredients bring it within the GM rice emergency measure and whether a common health entry document is required. Give your broker the full recipe, including starch and vinegar sources.
What should I check before approving bottled sweet chilli sauce?
Check the recipe, taste, pouring consistency, batch test results, English label and allergens. Inspect closures and transport packaging, and agree shelf life and storage conditions.