Sourcing unworked cuttlebones from China
Unworked cuttlebones from China carry 0% UK duty across the relevant lines. Check attached tissue and intended use before shipping: the tissue-containing line carries veterinary control, while the residual line carries CITES import control. Ask your broker to confirm the route for the actual goods. Cambridge China Bridge sources unworked cuttlebones.
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Zero duty, with controls to check
Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 29 September 2026, heading 0508 covers cuttlebones unworked or simply prepared but not cut to shape, alongside shells, coral, powder and waste. For whole, tissue-free cuttlebones, ask your broker to confirm 0508 00 90 90. Cuttlebones containing soft tissue or flesh have the explicit line 0508 00 90 20. The table shows purchasing variants under repeated codes, rather than separate tariff subdivisions.
Both relevant lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension recorded. The tissue-containing line carries veterinary control; the residual line carries CITES import control. Both carry organic import control and CITES export control. The UK Trade Tariff attaches these controls; ask your customs broker to confirm the requirements for the actual species, condition and use, including any common health entry document.
Where veterinary checks apply, consignments must enter through an approved border control post. For CITES-listed species, confirm the relevant permits before ordering. If organic certification is proposed, confirm the inspection-certificate requirement with your broker; the exporter’s control body issues that certificate. Check the commodity code using photographs and a processing description. For other materials in this heading, see shells and coral.
| Goods | Commodity code | Duty | Anti-dumping or countervailing duty on China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole unworked cuttlebones, tissue-free, loose | 0508 00 90 90 | 0% | None |
| Unworked cuttlebones containing soft tissue or flesh | 0508 00 90 20 | 0% | None |
Specify whole pieces, cleanliness and intended use
Specify the cuttlefish species, source, intended use and whether the pieces retain their natural shape. Agree length, width, thickness, acceptable chips and cracks, dryness, odour and freedom from attached tissue against a retained sample. Ask the processor to describe washing, drying and any chemical treatment. Do not accept a general claim of cleanliness as a substitute for that description.
For bird-feed sales, check the feed-business registration and approval rules for your activities. The official guidance covers businesses marketing animal feed; confirm your position with the relevant authority. Agree suitable testing for the intended use through testing and certification, including checks supporting any composition or cleanliness claims. Specify separators and cushioning so whole pieces do not arrive as fragments.
Worked duty example
Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 5 cartons of whole, tissue-free unworked cuttlebones under 0508 00 90 90, invoiced at £1,500 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £2,400. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £2,400, so it is £480. 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 species, processing records and intended use to the purchase order and retained sample.
Condition: inspect across cartons for attached flesh, damp, mould, foreign matter and unusual odour; isolate suspect stock.
Grading: compare dimensions and usable whole pieces with the agreed sample; record cracks, chipped ends and excess dust.
Packing: check cushioning, crushed cartons and batch identification; open arrival samples before releasing stock for sale.
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What goes wrong
A clean sample can conceal a shipment containing tissue, undersized pieces or broken stock. Ask for samples drawn from the packed batch, and agree how damage and unusable pieces will be recorded. Dry-looking surfaces can also hide damp packing, so check inside cartons on arrival.
A supplier may describe the same material as bird feed, craft material or a medicinal ingredient. Settle the intended use before ordering and ask your broker to confirm the applicable route for imports from China. A zero duty rate does not establish that every proposed consignment meets its import requirements.
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 cuttlebones from China?
The relevant lines carry 0% duty for goods from China, with no anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspension recorded in the supplied tariff facts.
Which commodity code covers unworked cuttlebones?
For whole, tissue-free pieces, ask your broker to confirm 0508 00 90 90.
Do cuttlebones need veterinary clearance?
The tariff attaches veterinary control to the tissue-containing line. Ask your broker to confirm the requirements for your goods from China. Where veterinary checks apply, use an approved border control post.
What should I specify for bird-feed cuttlebones?
Specify species, intended use, natural shape, size grading, dryness, attached-tissue limits and acceptable damage. Check your feed-business registration and approval position before selling.