Guidance

Classifying edible fruit, vegetables and nuts for import and export

Get help to classify edible vegetables, roots, tubers, herbs, spices, fruit, nuts and peel for import and export.

• From: HM Revenue & Customs
• Published: 2 August 2012
• Last updated: 4 July 2023 — See all updates

This guidance refers to chapters and headings in the UK Global Online Tariff. If you’re importing goods into Northern Ireland, or if this guidance does not include your item, read more information.

Edible vegetables, roots and tubers

The edible vegetables and roots classified in chapter 7 are classified according to their:

• genus or plant family, for example, brassicas such as broccoli and cabbage
• state — they may be fresh, chilled, frozen, dried or provisionally preserved
• intended use — products intended for animal fodder and herbs intended for pharmaceutical use are not classified in chapter 7

Common terms

Common terms included in these classifications are:

• alliaceous — vegetables belonging to the Allium plant family, which includes onions, shallots, leeks and garlic
• brassica — vegetables belonging to the Brassica plant family, which includes cabbages, kale, brussel sprouts and cauliflowers
• genus or genera (plural) — a group of similar plant types (the term forms the first part of the plant’s Latin or botanical name)
• leguminous — vegetables belonging to the Leguminosae plant family, which include peas (pisum), beans (phaseolus and vigna) and lentils (lens) (the term forms the second part of the plant’s Latin or botanical name)
• var (variety) — a subdivision of a species

Frozen garlic and other frozen vegetables

Frozen vegetables must be maintained at a temperature of no more than -12°C — this must be consistent throughout the product so that the entire product is thoroughly frozen. They can be either uncooked or cooked (by steaming or boiling in water before being frozen) and are classified in heading 0710.

If a frozen product is not frozen down to -12°C, it must be classified as fresh or chilled, within headings 0701 to 0709.

Products described as ‘frozen garlic’ that do not meet the freezing temperature requirement, must be classified as fresh or chilled garlic in subheading 0703 20.

As well as the types of vegetable listed in subheadings 0710 10 to 0710 90, the following products are also classified in heading 0710, if they’re frozen to the required temperature:

• truffles
• capers
• marrows and pumpkins
• aubergines
• fennel
• cress
• certain herbs, such as parsley and chervil

Roots and tubers

Certain roots and tubers with a high starch or inulin content, are classified in heading 0714. Inulin is a naturally occurring carbohydrate that is extracted from certain roots. Products classified in this heading include:

• manioc (or cassava)
• sweet potatoes
• Jerusalem artichokes
• arrowroot
• salep (flour made from the dried roots of orchids)
• sago pith

These products may be:

• with or without skin
• fresh, chilled, frozen or dried
• whole, sliced or in pellet form

Manioc pellets may be disintegrated and will remain classified as long as they are identifiable as manioc pellets. They can be identified by observing physical characteristics, such as:

• particles with a different nature or texture within the substance (broken pieces of manioc pellets)
• the substance having a brownish colour with black spots
• pieces of fibre within the substance that are visible to the naked eye
• the substance having a small quantity of sand or silica present

In Section II of the UK Global Tariff, the term ‘pellets’ means products which have been agglomerated (formed together), either by:

• compression
• the addition of a binder in a proportion of no more 3% by weight

Chinese water chestnuts

Heading 0714 also covers Chinese water chestnuts (tuberous roots of Eleocharis dulcis or Eleocharis tuberosa). They do not have a high starch content, but are included because of their high inulin content. The Caltrop variety of water chestnuts (nut-like fruit of Trapa natans) are classified as nuts in heading 0802.

Leguminous vegetables

Leguminous vegetables are classified in heading 0708 if they’re fresh or chilled, and in heading 0713 if they’re dried. Dried products are included whether they’re intended for food use or for sowing.

Leguminous vegetables classified under these headings include:

• peas (pisum sativum)
• beans (vigna, phaseolus species)
• broad beans and horse beans (vicia faba)
• chickpeas (garbanzos)
• lentils (lens)

Some legumes are not classified in chapter 7, for example, soya beans are classified in heading 1201 and locust beans are classified in heading 1212.

Provisionally preserved vegetables

Provisionally preserved vegetables are classified in heading 0711. They must not be suitable for eating immediately. They’re generally packed in casks or barrel and are raw ingredients that have been provisionally preserved for transport and storage, before being used in food manufacturing. They must stay in that state and remain unsuitable for immediate consumption.

Vegetables such as olives or gherkins (pickled in brine or vinegar) which can be eaten straight from the jar, are not provisionally preserved and are not classified in heading 0711. If they can be eaten with no further treatment or processing, they’re classified in headings 2001, 2002, 2003 or 2005.

Herbs and spices

There is no single classification in the tariff for herbs. They can be classified in chapters 7, 9 or 12, depending on their purpose and on the part of the plant they come from. For example, leaves are classified in a different chapter from seeds. Herbs used in cooking are classified in heading 1211.

Some herbs are classified as vegetables in headings 0709 to 0712. They include:

• parsley
• chervil
• tarragon
• coriander leaves
• dill leaves
• sweet marjoram

Some herbs are classified as spices in chapter 9. They include:

• thyme
• bay leaves
• dill seeds
• coriander seeds
• cumin seeds

Herbs classified in heading 1211 as types of plant used in perfumery, in pharmacy, or for insecticidal, fungicidal or similar purposes include:

• basil
• borage
• hyssop
• mint
• rosemary
• rue
• ginseng roots
• sage
• wild marjoram (oregano)

Names including Latin names and subheadings for edible vegetables

Common name	Alternative name	Latin name	Subheading
Artichoke (globe)	—	Cynara cardunculus, scolymus	0709 10
Artichoke (Japanese or Chinese)	Crosnes and chorogi	Stachys affinis	0706 90
Artichoke (Jerusalem)	Girasole	Helianthus tuberose	0714 90
Aubergine	Eggplant, brindjal and bringal	Solanum melongena	0709 30
Bamboo shoot	—	Bambusa vulgaris, phyllostachys edulis	0709 90
Bean shoot	Bean sprout, soy bean and mung bean	Glycine max, vigna radiata	0709 90
Broccoli (sprouting)	Calabrese	Brassica oleracea	0704 90
Broccoli (headed)	—	Brassica oleracea	0704 10
Chard	White beet, spinach beet, silver beet, leaf beet, seakale beet	Beta vulgaris	0709 90
Chayote	Chow chow	Sechium edule	0709 90
Chervil (other than rooted)	—	Antriscus cerefolium	0709 90
Chervil (rooted)	—	Chaerophyllum	0706 90
Chinese cabbage	Pak-choi	Brassica chinensis	0704 90
Chinese water chestnuts	Pi-tsi	Eleocharis dulcis and Eleocharis tuberosa	0714 90
Cocoyam (new)	Tannia, yautia	Xanthosoma sagitiifolium	0714 90
Crow garlic	Wild leek	Allium ampeloprasum	0703 90
Dasheen	Eddo, taro, elephant’s ear, old cocoyam	Colocasia esculenta, colocasia antiquorum	0714 90
Dolichos	Hyacynth bean, bonavist bean, lalab, lubia	Dolichos lablab	0708 90
Endive	Curly chicory	Cichorium endivia, crispa	0705 29
Gourd	—	Various	0709 90
Lotus root	—	Nelumbium nuciferum	0714 90
Marjoram (sweet, dried)	—	Origanum majorana, majorana hortensis	0712 90
Marjoram (sweet, fresh)	—	Origanum majorana, majorana hortensis	0709 90
Marrows (vegetable)	—	Cucurbita pepo, medullosa	0709 90
Mustard green	Pak-choi, boy-choi	Brassica chinensis	0704 90
Okra	Ladies fingers, gumbo, okro, bindi	Hibiscus esculentus	0709 90
Orache	Garden spinach	Atriplex hortensis	0709 70
Oxalis (notched)	—	Oxalis crenata	0709 90
Pak-choi	Chinese cabbage	Brassica chinensis	0709 90
Parsley (not rooted)	—	Petroselinum crispum	0709 90
Parsley (turnip rooted)	Hamburgh parsley	Petroselinum crispum, tuberosa	0709 90
Parsnip	—	Pastinaca sativa	0706 90
Patience	Spinach-dock	Rumex patienta	0709 90
Pe-Tsai	Wong Bok, chihli	Brassica pekinensis	0704 90
Pumpkin	—	Curcurbita pepo	0709 90
Purslain (common)	Purslane	Portulacea	0709 90
Rocambole	Sand leek	Allium scorodoprasum	0703 90
Rhubarb	—	Rheum rhabarbarum	0709 90
Salsify	Vegetable oyster, oyster plant	Tragopogon porrifolius	0706 90
Savory	Winter savory, summer savory	Satereja montana, satereja hortensis	0709 90
Savoy cabbage	—	Brassica oleracea, sabauda	0704 90
Scorznera	Black salsify	Scorzonera hispanica	0706 90
Seakale	—	Crambe matitima	0709 90
Skirret	—	Sium sisarum	0709 90
Sorrel	—	Rumex acetosa	0709 90
Spring onion	—	Allium cepa	0703 10
Sweet potato	—	Ipomoea batatas	0714 20
Tarragon	—	Artemisia dracunculus	0709 90
Watercress	—	Nasturtium officinale, nasturtium microphyllum	0709 90
Yam	—	Dioscorea (various)	0714 90
Zucchini	Courgette	Curcurbita pepo, medullosa	0709 90

Edible fruits, nuts and peel

The edible fruit and nuts classified in chapter 8 of the tariff are classified according to:

• their ‘genus’ or plant family — for example, citrus fruit, such as oranges and grapefruit
• if they’re fresh, chilled, frozen, dried or provisionally preserved

Common terms

Common terms included in these classifications are:

• genus or genera (plural) — a group of similar plant types (the term forms the first part of the plant’s Latin or botanical name)
• oleaginous — oil producing items, such as groundnuts
• species — a subdivision of a plant genus (it forms the second part of the Latin or botanical name)
• var (variety) — this indicates a subdivision of a species

Frozen fruit and nuts

Frozen fruit and nuts are classified in heading 0811. They can be either uncooked or cooked (by steaming or boiling in water before being frozen) and may have sugar or other sweetening matters added. ‘Frozen’ means that the product has been cooled to below its freezing point, until it’s frozen throughout.

If a fruit product covered by chapter 8 is not frozen throughout, then such soft frozen or partially frozen fruit is classified as chilled within headings 0801 to 0810.

Dried fruit and nuts

Dried fruit and nuts are classified in headings 0801 to 0806 or in heading 0813. Heading 0814 includes the peel of dried citrus fruit or melons. Provided they keep the characteristics of dried fruit or dried nuts, these products may be partially rehydrated or treated for one of the following purposes:

• to preserve or stabilise, for example, by moderate heat treatment, sulphuring or adding sorbic acid or potassium sorbate
• to improve or maintain the product’s appearance, for example, by adding vegetable oil or small quantities of glucose syrup

Frozen tropical fruit

Subheadings 0811 90 11, 0811 90 31 and 0811 90 85 include tropical fruit, which (for classification purposes) are:

• carambola
• cashew apples
• guavas
• jackfruit
• lychees
• mangoes
• mangosteens
• passion fruit
• papaws (or papayas)
• pitahaya
• sapodillo plums
• tamarinds

Tropical nuts

In addition to commodity codes 0813 50 31 20 and 0813 50 31 80, the following subheadings include tropical nuts — specifically nuts that are not fresh or dried, or mixtures of fresh or dried nuts (either with other nuts or with dried fruit):

• 0811 90 11
• 0811 90 31
• 0811 90 85
• 0812 90 70

For classification purposes, tropical nuts are:

• areca (or betel nuts)
• Brazil nuts
• cashew nuts
• coconuts
• cola nuts
• macadamia nuts

Fresh or dried tropical nuts that are not mixed are classified in heading 0801 or 0802.

Provisionally preserved fruit and nuts

Provisionally preserved fruit and nuts are classified in heading 0812. They must not be suitable for eating immediately. They are generally preserved in a solution like sulphur dioxide gas, brine or sulphur water for transport and storage purposes, before being used in the food industry (mainly for making jam).

Preserved fruit items that can be eaten immediately, like glace cherries or jam, are usually classified in chapter 20.

Names including Latin names and subheadings for edible fruit and nuts

Common name	Alternative name	Latin name	Subheading
Akee	Achee, kaki, ackee	Blighia sapida	0810 90
Alkekengi	Chinese lantern, strawberry tomato, winter cherry	Physali alkekengi	0810 90
Avocado pear	Alligator pear	Persea americana	0804 40
Strawberry-tree fruit	—	Arbutus unedo	0810 90
Bael	Bengal quince, golden apple, stone apple	Aegle marmelos	0810 90
Breadfruit	—	Artocarpus altilis	0810 90
Bullace	—	Prunus domestica insititia	0809 40
Carambola	Starfruit, chinese gooseberry	Averrhoa carambola	0810 90
Ceriman	Cheese plant	Monstera deliciosa	0810 90
Cherimoya	Chirimoya	Annona cherimola	0810 90
Chinotto	—	Citrus myrtifolia	0805 90
Citron	—	Citrus medica	0805 90
Etrog	—	Citrus medica, etrog	0805 90
Filbert	Hazelnut	Corylus maxima	0802 21 and 0802 22
Governor plum	Botoko plum, ramontchi	Flacourtia indica	0810 90
Greengage	—	Prunus domestica italica	0809 40
Gean	Sweet cherry, wild cherry	Prunus avium	0809 20
Granadilla (giant)	—	Passiflora quadrangularis	0810 90
Jackfruit	Jakfruit	Artocarpus heterophyllis	0810 90
Jujube	Chinese date	Ziziphus jujuba	0810 90
Kaki Persimmon	Japanese persimmon	Diospyros kaki	0810 90
Kiwi fruit (golden)	Chinese gooseberry	Actinidia chinensis	0810 50
Kiwi fruit	—	Actinidia deliciosa	0810 50
Kumquats	Cumquats	Fortunella japonica and citrus japonica	0810 90
Langsat	Lanzones	Lansium domesticum	0810 90
Loquat	Japanese medlar	Eriobotrya japonica	0810 90
Malaquina (hybrid of orange and mandarin)	—	—	0805 20
Medlar	—	Mespilus germanica	0810 90
Mirabelle	—	Prunus domestica, syriaca	0809 40
Mineola	—	—	0805 20
Monreale	—	—	0805 20
Papaw	Papaya	Carica papaya	0807 20
Passion fruit	Granadilla (purple)	Passiflora edulis	0810 90
Pomelo	Shaddock, pummelo	Citrus maxima	0805 40
Pulasan	—	Nephelium mutabile	0810 90
Rambutan	—	Nephelium lappaceum	0801 90
Rowan	Mountain ash	Sorbus aucuparia	0810 90
Sapodilla	Naseberry, zapote, chico	Manikara zapota	0810 90
Soursop	Guanabana, graviola	Annona muricata	0810 90
Sweetsop	Custard apple, sugar apple	Annona squamosa	0810 90
Ugli (hybrid of grapefruit and tangerine)	—	Citrus reticulate x citrus paradisi	0805 20
Water chestnut	Caltrop	Trapa natans	0802 90
Chinese water chestnut	Water chestnut	Eleocharis dulcis, eleocharis tuberose	0714 90

More information

If this guidance does not cover your specific item in detail and you’re importing goods into Great Britain, you can search for it in the Online Trade Tariff.

If you’re importing goods into Northern Ireland from outside the UK, and the EU and the goods are not ‘at risk’ of onward movement to the EU, you should also use the Online Trade Tariff.

If you’re importing goods into Northern Ireland from outside the UK and the EU, and the goods are at risk of onward movement to the EU, you should use the Northern Ireland (EU) Tariff.

If this guidance does cover your item, you’ll still need to look up the full commodity code to use in your declaration on the appropriate tariff.

You can find more ways to help you find a commodity code by referring to the links given in this section.

Published 2 August 2012
Last updated 4 July 2023 + show all updates

1. 4 July 2023

   The section on roots and tubers has been updated to explain how disintegrated manioc pellets are classified.

2. 2 August 2012

   First published.