Sourcing vermouth from China

Zero customs duty, separate Alcohol Duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 18 November 2026, heading 2205 covers vermouth and other wine of fresh grapes flavoured with plants or aromatic substances. Its lines distinguish containers holding 2 litres or less from larger containers, and alcoholic strength of 18% or less from strength above 18%.

All listed lines carry 0% customs duty for goods from China, with no listed anti-dumping or countervailing duty and no suspensions. Alcohol Duty is separate: imported alcoholic products become liable when they arrive in the UK. Agree the payment or approved warehousing route before shipment. See import duty and VAT.

The tariff attaches import control of organic products. Organic imports from China into Great Britain need inspection certification; the exporter’s control body issues the certificate. Confirm the certificate and applicable organic import arrangements with your customs broker before shipping. Use the recipe, container capacity and measured strength to confirm the commodity code.

Specify the wine base and botanical profile

Specify the grape-wine base, botanical recipe, sweetness, colour, bitterness and alcoholic strength. Agree a retained tasting sample and laboratory specification for strength, sugar, acidity and contaminants. Ask the producer to disclose flavourings, preservatives and processing aids rather than approving a sample on taste alone.

Agree bottle capacity, closure, fill level, case dividers and storage conditions. Review the product name and label before printing. Confirm the applicable label requirements with the relevant authority, including alcoholic strength, net quantity, business details and allergen information. Review organic claims separately from ordinary label artwork.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: Illustrative order: 3,000 bottles of 500 ml vermouth, alcoholic strength not exceeding 18%; FOB and freight values are illustrative and exclude Alcohol Duty. under 2205 10 10 00, invoiced at £12,000 free on board, with £1,500 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £13,500. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £13,500, so it is £2,700. 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

Liquid: compare aroma, sweetness, bitterness and colour with the retained sample; investigate haze, sediment or unexpected fermentation.

Laboratory: check measured alcoholic strength against the label and agreed specification, and compare batch analysis with the approved recipe.

Packaging: inspect caps, seals, fill levels, leakage, broken glass and case dividers after transport.

Documents: match batch identifiers to analysis reports and shipping documents; check label artwork and any organic inspection certificate. Use our quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

A tasting sample can hide production variation: botanical extracts change the bitterness, sugar masks differences in the wine base, and sediment appears during storage. Keep an approved sample and compare production batches before dispatch.

Zero customs duty can lead buyers to omit Alcohol Duty from landed costs. Strength discrepancies also affect classification and duty planning. Leaking closures, broken bottles and unsupported organic claims create further problems. Settle the tax route and review documents before approving shipment.

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.