Subheading · Chapter 12 · Heading 1209
1209.21: Seeds of forage plants: lucerne (alfalfa) seeds
Official description Lucerne (alfalfa) seeds
1209.21 is a six-digit subheading of heading 1209, seeds, fruit and spores, of a kind used for sowing, chapter 12.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 1209 21 00 00 Lucerne (alfalfa) seeds 2%
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. 376
- Documents
- 9008
Import requirements 4
- Prohibition or restrictionImport prohibition
- Applies to goods from
- North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/411
- Import controlPhytosanitary Certificate (import)
- Applies to goods from
- Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Uruguay
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1527
- Documents
- N851
- 901Y
- C085 Common Health Entry Document for Plants and Plant Products (CHED-PP) (as set out in Part 2, Section C of Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1715 (OJ L 261))
- 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 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
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | 2% |
| 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 |
| DCTS Standard | Indonesia | Free |
| UK–Israel agreement | Israel | Free |
| UK–India agreement | India | Free |
| UK–Iceland agreement | Iceland | Free |
| UK–Jordan agreement | Jordan | 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–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: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 Canada | £327k | 41.3% | +244% |
 Italy | £250k | 31.6% | -45.5% |
 France | £188k | 23.8% | +26.5% |
 Serbia | £22k | 2.8% | — |
 Poland | £5k | 0.6% | -87.5% |
 Denmark | £0 | 0% | -100% |
 Spain | £0 | 0% | -100% |
 Hungary | £0 | 0% | -100% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$242.7kUS$242.7k+US$1.7m+US$17.8m+> US$54.8m
Exports: 69
- United States: US$65.1m
- Canada: US$54.8m
- Italy: US$51.7m
- Egypt: US$25.7m
- Australia: US$22.5m
- Germany: US$18.9m
- France: US$17.8m
- Netherlands: US$6.7m
- Poland: US$5.4m
- Serbia: US$4.9m
- Türkiye: US$4.6m
- Afghanistan: US$3.8m
- Romania: US$3.1m
- Denmark: US$2.9m
- India: US$2.4m
- Chile: US$1.8m
- Pakistan: US$1.7m
- Hungary: US$1.7m
- Spain: US$1.5m
- Greece: US$1.2m
- Austria: US$963k
- Czechia: US$651k
- Kazakhstan: US$631.3k
- South Africa: US$625.5k
- Uruguay: US$552.3k
- Russia: US$539.6k
- Croatia: US$529.6k
- Slovenia: US$484.1k
- Sweden: US$394.2k
- Lithuania: US$309.4k
- Bulgaria: US$306.5k
- Ukraine: US$303.2k
- United Kingdom: US$242.7k
- Argentina: US$227.7k
- Belgium: US$167.6k
- Morocco: US$160.1k
- China: US$158k
- Sudan: US$157.8k
- Uzbekistan: US$124.1k
- New Zealand: US$108.9k
- Kyrgyzstan: US$101.3k
- Portugal: US$91.2k
- Algeria: US$81.9k
- Iraq: US$34.5k
- Switzerland: US$34.2k
- Kenya: US$32.5k
- Luxembourg: US$30.3k
- Zimbabwe: US$29.7k
- Saudi Arabia: US$27.8k
- Taiwan: US$19.7k
- Iran: US$18.3k
- Turkmenistan: US$10.4k
- Latvia: US$9.8k
- Azerbaijan: US$9.3k
- Estonia: US$9.3k
- Slovakia: US$8.2k
- Oman: US$6.1k
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$5k
- Indonesia: US$4.9k
- Japan: US$4.4k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$393.8kUS$393.8k+US$2.1m+US$7.1m+> US$20.1m
Imports: 128
- United States: US$32.8m
- Pakistan: US$25.9m
- Mexico: US$24.8m
- Italy: US$20.1m
- Germany: US$17m
- Netherlands: US$13.5m
- Argentina: US$11.5m
- Romania: US$11.5m
- Belarus: US$10.5m
- China: US$8.8m
- France: US$8.1m
- Greece: US$7.5m
- Algeria: US$7.1m
- Saudi Arabia: US$6.4m
- Poland: US$5.6m
- Russia: US$5.5m
- Spain: US$5.2m
- Egypt: US$4.9m
- Peru: US$4.8m
- United Arab Emirates: US$4.6m
- Libya: US$4.6m
- South Africa: US$4.3m
- Denmark: US$3.9m
- Morocco: US$3.7m
- Hungary: US$3.5m
- Austria: US$2.5m
- Kazakhstan: US$2.3m
- Türkiye: US$2.3m
- Switzerland: US$2.2m
- Canada: US$2.1m
- Bulgaria: US$2.1m
- Croatia: US$2.1m
- United Kingdom: US$2m
- Taiwan: US$2m
- Czechia: US$1.8m
- Uzbekistan: US$1.7m
- Slovakia: US$1.6m
- Lithuania: US$1.5m
- Sweden: US$1.3m
- Tunisia: US$1.2m
- New Zealand: US$1.2m
- Azerbaijan: US$1.1m
- Kuwait: US$1m
- Jordan: US$976.5k
- Belgium: US$962k
- Portugal: US$943.7k
- Ukraine: US$819.8k
- Albania: US$811.1k
- Chile: US$805.6k
- South Sudan: US$804.5k
- Latvia: US$762.2k
- Kyrgyzstan: US$744.6k
- Ecuador: US$680.6k
- Estonia: US$604.8k
- India: US$597k
- Tajikistan: US$588.1k
- Moldova: US$581.4k
- Qatar: US$563.5k
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$505.5k
- Finland: US$470.5k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States | US$65.1m | 21.3% |
| 2 | Canada | US$54.8m | 17.9% |
| 3 | Italy | US$51.7m | 16.9% |
| 4 |  Egypt | US$25.7m | 8.4% |
| 5 |  Australia | US$22.5m | 7.3% |
| 6 |  Germany | US$18.9m | 6.2% |
| 7 | France | US$17.8m | 5.8% |
| 8 |  Netherlands | US$6.7m | 2.2% |
| 9 | Poland | US$5.4m | 1.8% |
| 10 | Serbia | US$4.9m | 1.6% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$32.8m | 10.7% |
| 2 |  Pakistan | US$25.9m | 8.4% |
| 3 |  Mexico | US$24.8m | 8.1% |
| 4 | Italy | US$20.1m | 6.6% |
| 5 | Germany | US$17m | 5.6% |
| 6 | Netherlands | US$13.5m | 4.4% |
| 7 |  Argentina | US$11.5m | 3.7% |
| 8 |  Romania | US$11.5m | 3.7% |
| 9 |  Belarus | US$10.5m | 3.4% |
| 10 |  China | US$8.8m | 2.9% |
Recent rule changes mentioning this code
Acts whose text cites this code or its heading. Check the act itself: a code can be cited for reasons other than a change of its duty.
-
Quota · Applies from: CELEX 32026R1455 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Tariff change · Applies from:
CELEX 32026R1395 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Subheading 1209.21 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is 2%.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 1209.21; the duty is 2.5%.
Goods from 168 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard 2%; 168 of them pay no duty at all, for example under DCTS Comprehensive or European Union.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported these goods worth £792.3k (down 2% on the year before), at an average of £5.33 per kg; Canada supplied 41%, followed by Italy.
World trade in these goods reached US$306.4m in 2024, down 10.3% on 2023.
The United States was the largest exporter with 21.3% of the total, ahead of Canada.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for seeds of forage plants: lucerne (alfalfa) seeds?
Seeds of forage plants: lucerne (alfalfa) seeds fall under HS subheading 1209.21, part of heading 1209, in section II of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on seeds of forage plants: lucerne (alfalfa) seeds in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 1209.21 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 2%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on seeds of forage plants: lucerne (alfalfa) seeds in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 1209.21 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 2.5%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most seeds of forage plants: lucerne (alfalfa) seeds?
The United States, with US$65.1m in 2024 (21.3% of world exports).
Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?
168 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 2% 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 Canada (41%), Italy (32%) and France (24%), out of total imports of £792.3k.
Typical products
Everyday names, not part of the legal text.