Sourcing grape seed extract from China

Duty and controls for unformulated extract

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 30 September 2026, heading 1302 covers vegetable saps and extracts, alongside pectin and plant-derived thickeners. The relevant other-extracts line, 1302 19 70 00, carries 0% duty for goods from China. The supplied tariff data lists no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension for this line.

The tariff attaches organic-product controls and CITES and Home Office controlled-drug import and export controls. Ask your customs broker to confirm their application to the declared grape species, composition and organic status. The exporter’s control body issues the organic certificate of inspection. Check CITES permit requirements against the species; importing or exporting controlled drugs or precursor chemicals requires a licence application.

The table shows commercial forms sharing the same candidate tariff line, rather than separate commodity codes. Confirm the commodity code using the full composition and processing description. Extracts formulated into supplements or flavourings may classify elsewhere. See the wider plant extracts guide for the rest of the heading.

Specify the grape seed extract and assay

Specify the botanical species, seed as the plant part, extraction solvent, physical form and complete composition. State whether any carrier, filler or other ingredient is present. Agree the extraction ratio, marker compounds, assay method and reporting basis. A total polyphenol result and a proanthocyanidin result describe different specifications; do not accept either as a substitute without agreement.

For food use, check the exact extract’s novel food status with the relevant food authority before ordering, including how its consumption history affects that assessment. Novel foods need authorisation before sale in Great Britain. Agree the intended use, batch analysis and independent testing through testing and certification.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative ingredient order: 2 tonnes of unformulated grape seed 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 declared grape species, seed source and extraction process to the approved specification; retain a sealed batch sample.

Assay: check marker results, test method and reporting basis against the purchase specification; investigate unexplained differences from the approved sample.

Contaminants: arrange batch testing for pesticide residues, heavy metals, microbiology and residual extraction solvents against agreed acceptance criteria.

Arrival: check batch identifiers against analysis reports, packaging seals, moisture damage, powder caking or liquid leakage; hold suspect material pending investigation.

What goes wrong

An extraction ratio is accepted as proof of marker content, or an assay result arrives without its method. Fillers, different plant material or a changed extraction process can leave the shipment unlike the approved sample. Powder colour alone cannot resolve an identity or strength dispute.

Food-use status is left until the goods arrive, or organic wording is ordered before import requirements are checked. Keep the composition, intended use, batch evidence and broker’s control assessment together. Investigate discrepancies before releasing the batch into production.

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.