Sourcing tulip bulbs for planting from China

Tulip bulb duty and recorded suspensions

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0601 covers dormant bulbs and other underground planting material, material in growth or flower, and chicory plants and roots. Dormant tulip bulbs fall under 0601 10 30 00; tulips in growth or flower fall under 0601 20 30 00. The table separates product presentations sharing these codes.

For goods from China, the standard duties are 4% and 8% respectively. Both lines record an autonomous tariff suspension of 0.00 %, with no anti-dumping or countervailing measure recorded. The suspension excludes mixtures, preparations or products made up of different components containing these goods. Both lines attach organic import control; confirm its application with your customs broker before using organic claims.

The growth-or-flower line also attaches CITES import and export controls. Confirm the botanical species and applicability with your broker; species listed in Annex A, B or C in Species+ require a permit. Confirm the condition at import and suspension eligibility using finding your commodity code. See the bulbs and rhizomes guide for the wider heading.

Specify variety, bulb grade and intended use

Specify the botanical species, cultivar, flower colour, bulb circumference grade, dormant or growing condition, and whether the bulbs are for garden planting or commercial flower production. Agree the grading method, variety segregation, treatment history and storage conditions. Ask the grower or packer to identify the production site and keep each lot traceable.

For Great Britain, confirm the plant health risk category and species-specific import conditions before ordering. Ask the plant-health authority to confirm importer registration, phytosanitary certification, pre-notification, checks and fees for the relevant risk category, and whether any wood packaging must meet ISPM 15. If selling bulbs online directly to customers buying for personal use, a plant passport is needed.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 2,000 dormant tulip bulbs under 0601 10 30 00, invoiced at £6,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £6,900. Duty at 4% is £276. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,176, so it is £1,435.20. Import taxes total £1,711.20; a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim the VAT, so the lasting cost is the £276 of duty. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Identity and grade: compare cultivar labels, lot references, counts and bulb circumference with the purchase specification.

Bulb condition: check firmness, intact basal plates and buds, and look for soft rot, mould, shrivelling and mechanical damage.

Packing and cleanliness: inspect ventilation, damp cartons, attached soil, visible insects and mixed varieties.

Documents and arrival: match the shipment to its plant health documents and retain photographs of defects by lot. Use the quality inspection guide to agree the inspection scope.

What goes wrong

Mixed cultivars, undersized bulbs, damaged basal plates and damp packing can undermine a planting order. An arrival inspection cannot prove eventual flower colour or flowering performance. Agree how the supplier will support a growing trial and investigate complaints against the original lot.

Treat a change from dormant bulbs to sprouting or flowering stock as a reason to review classification. Check the suspension rather than assuming the standard duty is the payable rate. Missing documents or insufficient import notice can delay the consignment; agree responsibility for paperwork before dispatch.

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.