Sourcing unformulated ginseng extract from China

Zero duty, with composition and control checks

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 1302 covers vegetable saps and extracts alongside pectin and plant thickeners. The candidate line for unformulated ginseng extract is 1302 19 70 00, carrying 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff record lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension. The table shows purchasing forms sharing this candidate code.

The tariff attaches organic import controls and CITES and Home Office controlled-drug import and export controls to this broad line. Controlled drugs or precursor chemicals require a licence to import or export. CITES permit requirements depend on the listed species and covered material. The extract-specific application remains unconfirmed: ask your customs broker to confirm requirements against the botanical identity and full composition.

Organic food imported from China into Great Britain requires a Great Britain certificate of inspection. Confirm the commodity code using the composition, extraction process and presentation; mixtures made into supplements or flavourings may classify elsewhere. See the wider plant extracts guide for the rest of this heading.

Specify the plant, extraction and ginsenoside assay

Specify the botanical species, root or leaf, cultivated or wild source, and whether the starting material was steamed. Record the extraction solvent, drying process, extract ratio and any carrier or processing aid. Ask for the complete composition rather than accepting a description such as pure ginseng powder.

Agree the ginsenoside assay method, compounds measured and reporting basis. Set purchasing specifications for moisture, residual solvents, pesticides, heavy metals and microbiology, with a batch certificate of analysis and retained sample. Arrange laboratory testing against the agreed specification.

For food use, establish the exact extract's consumption history and intended use. Confirm its novel food status with the relevant food authority; novel foods need authorisation before sale in Great Britain. For products presented as treating or preventing disease, confirm the applicable medicine rules with MHRA and review proposed claims before ordering.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative small-business order: 2 sealed drums of unformulated ginseng root extract powder under 1302 19 70 00, invoiced at £16,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £16,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £16,900, so it is £3,380. 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: match the botanical species, plant part and batch reference across the specification, drum labels and analysis report.

Strength: check the ginsenoside result, assay method and reporting basis against the approved sample and purchase specification.

Contaminants: match laboratory samples to the delivered batch and review solvent residues, pesticides, heavy metals and microbiology.

Condition: inspect seals, liners, leaks and powder caking on arrival; compare colour, odour and solubility with the retained reference sample.

What goes wrong

An extract ratio describes processing, but does not establish the delivered ginsenoside content. Results become difficult to compare when suppliers measure different compounds or use different reporting bases. Undeclared carriers, substituted plant parts and moisture uptake can also change strength and performance.

A generic analysis report may cover a different batch. Hold material that fails the agreed specification while investigating. Resolve food status, organic documentation and the tariff's species and substance controls before shipment; a zero duty rate does not resolve those questions.

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.