Subheading · Chapter 03 · Heading 0308
0308.12: Sea cucumbers (Stichopus japonicus, Holothuroidea): frozen
Official description Frozen
Subheading 0308.12 belongs to heading 0308 (aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs, live, fresh…) in chapter 03.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 0308 12 00 00 Frozen 10%
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Additional duties and charges 1
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 833
- Documents
- 9018
Import requirements 6
- Prohibition or restrictionImport prohibition
- Applies to goods from
- Cambodia, Comoros, North Korea, St Vincent & the Grenadines
- Legal act
- 2014 No. 170, S.I. 2019/411
- Import controlVeterinary control
- Applies to goods from
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica and 232 more
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/782
- Documents
- N853 Common Health Entry Document for Products (CHED-P) (as set out in Part 2, Section B of Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1715 (OJ L 261))
- Y058 Exemption by virtue of Article 7 of Commission Delegated Regulation 2019/2122 (Goods which form part of passengers' personal luggage and are intended for personal consumption or use) or Article 10 (small consignments of goods sent to natural persons which are not intended to be placed on the market) of Commission Delegated Regulation 2019/2122
- Y930 The declared goods are not concerned by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/632
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlImport control - CITES
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 2021 No. 54
- Documents
- C400 Presentation of the required "CITES" certificate
- Y900 Declared goods do not belong to the Washington Convention (CITES)
- Import controlControl on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
- Applies to goods from
- all countries except Cambodia, Comoros, St Vincent & the Grenadines
- Documents
- C673 Importer Declaration or Re-export Certificate, as foreseen in Annex II of Regulation (EC) 1005/2008 or Annex IV of Regulation (EC) 1010/2009
- Y927 The declared goods are not concerned by Council Regulation (EC) No. 1005/2008
- Import controlImport control of organic products
- Applies to goods from
- all countries except Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/693
- Documents
- C644 Certificate of inspection for organic products
- Y929 Goods not concerned by Regulation (EU) 2018/848 (organic products)
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | 10% |
| DCTS Comprehensive | Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 moreAfghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Kinshasa, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia | Free |
| European Union (including code "EU") | Free | |
| DCTS Enhanced | Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 moreAlgeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville, Cook Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu | Free |
| CARIFORUM | Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and 10 moreAntigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago | Free |
| OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) | Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands and 7 moreAnguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands | Free |
| Central America | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama | Free |
| SADC EPA | Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia | Free |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States | Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe | Free |
| CPTPP | Brunei, Malaysia | Free |
| UK–Albania agreement | Albania | Free |
| UK–Australia agreement | Australia | Free |
| UK–Canada agreement | Canada | Free |
| UK–Côte d’Ivoire agreement | Côte d’Ivoire | Free |
| UK–Chile agreement | Chile | Free |
| UK–Cameroon agreement | Cameroon | Free |
| UK–Colombia agreement | Colombia | Free |
| UK–Ceuta & Melilla agreement | Ceuta & Melilla | Free |
| UK–Ecuador agreement | Ecuador | Free |
| UK–Egypt agreement | Egypt | Free |
| UK–Fiji agreement | Fiji | Free |
| UK–Georgia agreement | Georgia | Free |
| UK–Ghana agreement | Ghana | Free |
| UK–Israel agreement | Israel | Free |
| UK–India agreement | India | Free |
| UK–Japan agreement | Japan | Free |
| UK–Kenya agreement | Kenya | Free |
| UK–South Korea agreement | South Korea | Free |
| UK–Lebanon agreement | Lebanon | Free |
| UK–Morocco agreement | Morocco | Free |
| UK–Moldova agreement | Moldova | Free |
| UK–North Macedonia agreement | North Macedonia | Free |
| UK–Mexico agreement | Mexico | Free |
| UK–New Zealand agreement | New Zealand | Free |
| UK–Peru agreement | Peru | Free |
| UK–Papua New Guinea agreement | Papua New Guinea | Free |
| UK–Palestinian Territories agreement | Palestinian Territories | Free |
| UK–Serbia agreement | Serbia | Free |
| UK–Solomon Islands agreement | Solomon Islands | Free |
| UK–Singapore agreement | Singapore | Free |
| UK–San Marino agreement | San Marino | Free |
| UK–Tunisia agreement | Tunisia | Free |
| UK–Türkiye agreement | Türkiye | Free |
| UK–Ukraine agreement | Ukraine | Free |
| UK–Vietnam agreement | Vietnam | Free |
| UK–Samoa agreement | Samoa | Free |
| UK–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
| UK–Iceland agreement | Iceland | 3.3% |
| UK–Norway agreement | Norway | 3.3% |
| DCTS Standard | Indonesia | 3.8% |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | £6k | 100% | — |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$292kUS$292k+US$2m+US$4m+> US$12m
Exports: 40
- Canada: US$20m
- Vietnam: US$12m
- Malaysia: US$4m
- China: US$4m
- Iceland: US$3m
- United States: US$3m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$3m
- Honduras: US$2m
- Greece: US$2m
- Japan: US$2m
- Taiwan: US$2m
- United Arab Emirates: US$2m
- Australia: US$2m
- Myanmar (Burma): US$1m
- Türkiye: US$1m
- Nicaragua: US$999k
- Indonesia: US$814k
- Mexico: US$494k
- Russia: US$467k
- Ecuador: US$292k
- Saudi Arabia: US$287k
- Philippines: US$182k
- Algeria: US$136k
- Chile: US$109k
- Spain: US$96k
- South Korea: US$89k
- New Zealand: US$63k
- Netherlands: US$61k
- Lithuania: US$44k
- Pakistan: US$29k
- Bulgaria: US$21k
- Thailand: US$17k
- France: US$17k
- Singapore: US$17k
- Macao SAR China: US$6k
- Italy: US$700
- Belgium: US$300
- Portugal: US$200
- Romania: US$200
- South Africa: US$100
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$46kUS$46k+US$1m+US$5m+> US$14m
Imports: 37
- China: US$23m
- Saudi Arabia: US$14m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$11m
- United States: US$5m
- Macao SAR China: US$2m
- Taiwan: US$2m
- Singapore: US$2m
- Malaysia: US$2m
- Canada: US$1m
- South Korea: US$837k
- Australia: US$675k
- Myanmar (Burma): US$636k
- Vietnam: US$382k
- United Arab Emirates: US$142k
- New Zealand: US$137k
- Spain: US$123k
- Poland: US$79k
- Japan: US$46k
- Latvia: US$44k
- Brunei: US$30k
- Kazakhstan: US$29k
- France: US$15k
- Indonesia: US$6k
- Norway: US$6k
- Germany: US$3k
- Italy: US$2k
- Lithuania: US$2k
- Ireland: US$800
- Malta: US$700
- Thailand: US$600
- Luxembourg: US$300
- Romania: US$300
- Netherlands: US$200
- Tonga: US$200
- Botswana: US$100
- Guam: US$100
- Croatia: US$0
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Canada | US$20m | 30.5% |
| 2 |  Vietnam | US$12m | 18.4% |
| 3 |  Malaysia | US$4m | 6.1% |
| 4 |  China | US$4m | 6% |
| 5 |  Iceland | US$3m | 4.1% |
| 6 | United States | US$3m | 4.1% |
| 7 |  Hong Kong SAR China | US$3m | 3.8% |
| 8 |  Honduras | US$2m | 3.2% |
| 9 |  Greece | US$2m | 3.1% |
| 10 |  Japan | US$2m | 2.9% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$23m | 34.9% |
| 2 |  Saudi Arabia | US$14m | 21.5% |
| 3 | Hong Kong SAR China | US$11m | 16.2% |
| 4 | United States | US$5m | 7.6% |
| 5 |  Macao SAR China | US$2m | 3.5% |
| 6 |  Taiwan | US$2m | 3.4% |
| 7 |  Singapore | US$2m | 3.1% |
| 8 | Malaysia | US$2m | 3% |
| 9 | Canada | US$1m | 2.1% |
| 10 |  South Korea | US$837k | 1.3% |
Code history
Since 2017; before, these goods were classified under 0308.19.
The UK Global Tariff has one tariff line for subheading 0308.12; the duty is 10%.
Subheading 0308.12 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is 11%.
166 countries pay no duty in the UK thanks to trade agreements and preference schemes such as DCTS Comprehensive and European Union, against a standard rate of 10%.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
Imports of these goods into the UK came to £6k between September 2025 and August 2026; United States supplied 100%.
In 2024, countries exported these goods worth US$66m (−21.6% year on year).
The largest exporter was Canada (US$20m), followed by Vietnam.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for sea cucumbers (Stichopus japonicus, Holothuroidea): frozen?
Sea cucumbers (Stichopus japonicus, Holothuroidea): frozen fall under HS subheading 0308.12, part of heading 0308, in section I of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on sea cucumbers in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 0308.12 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 10%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on sea cucumbers in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 0308.12 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 11%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most sea cucumbers?
Canada, with US$20m in 2024 (30.5% of world exports).
Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?
166 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, DCTS Enhanced. The goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin and the importer needs proof of origin; otherwise the standard rate of 10% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on these goods?
The UK charges additional duty of 35% on goods from Belarus and Russia. Lower rates apply to the named exporters listed in the measure.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were United States (100%), out of total imports of £6k.