Sourcing tomato ketchup from China
Tomato ketchup from China pays a flat 10% UK duty under 2103 20 00 00, with no listed trade remedy or suspension. Ketchup without animal ingredients must meet GB or equivalent food hygiene and compositional standards. Organic imports need additional checks. Cambridge China Bridge sources tomato ketchup.
Tomato ketchup duty and organic controls
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 2103 covers sauces, sauce preparations, mixed condiments, mixed seasonings and mustard products. Tomato ketchup falls within 2103 20 00 00, alongside other tomato sauces. Its duty for goods from China is 10%, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows packaging formats under this same commodity line.
The tariff attaches an organic import control. For organic ketchup from China entering Great Britain, your company must be UK-based and certified by an approved UK organic control body. Obtain a Great Britain certificate of inspection for each consignment, including samples, and check that the exporter's control body and export country appear on the non-UK organic registers. The exporter's control body issues the certificate.
Confirm the commodity code against the complete recipe before ordering. This guide concerns finished tomato ketchup, rather than tomato paste or a mixed seasoning containing tomato. See the soy sauce and condiments guide for the wider heading.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato ketchup in squeeze bottles | 2103 20 00 00 | 10% | None |
Specify the ketchup recipe and dispensing pack
Agree the tomato ingredient and its proportion, sugar, vinegar, salt, spices, thickeners and preservatives. Set acceptance criteria for colour, sweetness, acidity, thickness and separation against an approved sample. Specify whether the ketchup must squeeze from a bottle, pour from glass or dispense through a catering pump. Agree shelf life and storage instructions using the factory's supporting evidence.
Ketchup without animal-origin ingredients must meet the same or equivalent food hygiene and compositional standards and procedures as food produced in Great Britain. Approval of a colouring, flavouring or sweetener in China does not establish approval in Great Britain. Have the recipe reviewed before approving production, using testing and certification support where needed.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order, not a quotation: 5 tonnes of bottled tomato ketchup under 2103 20 00 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 10% is £2,550. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £28,050, so it is £5,610. Import taxes total £8,160; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £2,550 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 consistency: compare production samples with the approved ketchup for taste, colour, thickness and separation; match batch records to the agreed ingredients.
Labels: check ingredients in descending order by weight, allergen information, date marking and the UK food business or importer address. Confirm that any necessary storage and use instructions match the product.
Fill and closure: check net contents against the agreed pack, cap fit, tamper seals, sachet seals and dispensing performance. Look for leaks, damaged bottles and stained cartons.
Batch evidence: match cartons, packs, retained samples and laboratory reports to the production batch. Check the remaining shelf life on arrival and record damaged or suspect stock before accepting delivery.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
What goes wrong
A sample can taste right while the production batch is thinner, sweeter or prone to separation. A bottle opening may clog, a cap may leak, or sachets may split in transit. Agree recipe change approval and test the finished ketchup in its actual dispensing pack. Use a quality inspection brief that covers the sauce and its packaging.
Labels can lag behind recipe changes, particularly when spice blends or thickeners change. Check the final artwork against the production recipe before printing. For organic orders, arrange importer certification and consignment paperwork before dispatch rather than relying on an organic claim on the supplier's label.
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 tomato ketchup from China?
The supplied tariff snapshot lists 10% under 2103 20 00 00, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension.
Does organic ketchup from China need an inspection certificate?
Yes. Each consignment entering Great Britain needs a Great Britain certificate of inspection. Check the exporter's control body and export country against the non-UK organic registers.
Whose address goes on imported ketchup labels?
Prepacked ketchup sold in Great Britain must carry a UK food business operator address. If that operator is outside the UK, use the UK importer's address.
What should I check when ketchup arrives?
Check taste and consistency against the approved sample, leaks and seal damage, net contents, label accuracy, batch identification and remaining shelf life.