UK Global Tariff · commodity code · HS 0406.30
0406 30 90 00: Processed cheese: Of a fat content, by weight, exceeding 36%
Processed cheese
✓ Can be used in a customs declaration Data: UK Global Tariff · checked on 24 October 2026
- 0406 Cheese and curd
- 0406 30 00 00 Processed cheese, not grated or powdered
- Other
- 0406 30 90 00 Of a fat content, by weight, exceeding 36%
What you pay
Importing into UK
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Import requirements 3
- 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
- C084 Exemption by virtue of Articles 3 and 4 of regulation 2019/2122 (animals intended for scientific purposes, research and diagnostic samples, and samples for product analysis and quality testing).
- 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))
- 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 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) | — | 179 GBP / 100 kg |
| 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 |
| UK–Albania agreement | Albania | Free |
| UK–Canada agreement | Canada | Free |
| UK–Switzerland agreement | Switzerland | Free |
| UK–Côte d’Ivoire agreement | Côte d’Ivoire | 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–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–Liechtenstein agreement | Liechtenstein | Free |
| UK–Morocco agreement | Morocco | Free |
| UK–Moldova agreement | Moldova | Free |
| UK–North Macedonia agreement | North Macedonia | Free |
| UK–Norway agreementQuota | Norway | Free |
| UK–Peru agreementQuota | 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–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 |
| CPTPPQuota | Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico | 113.9 GBP / 100 kg |
| UK–Australia agreementQuota | Australia | 59.67 GBP / 100 kg |
| UK–New Zealand agreementQuota | New Zealand | 59.67 GBP / 100 kg |
Footnotes
TN701 According to the Council Regulation (EU) No 692/2014 (OJ L183, p. 9), as retained in UK La…
The prohibition shall not apply in respect of:
(a) the execution until 26 September 2014, of trade contracts concluded before 25 June 2014, or of ancillary contracts necessary for the execution of such contracts, provided that the natural or legal persons, entity or body seeking to perform the contract have notified, at least 10 working days in advance, the activity or transaction to the competent authority of the Member State in which they are established.
(b) goods originating in Crimea or Sevastopol which have been made available to the Ukrainian authorities for examination, for which compliance with the conditions conferring entitlement to preferential origin has been verified and for which a certificate of origin has been issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 and Regulation (EU) No 374/2014, as retained in UK Law, or in accordance with the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement
UK: imports by month · HS 0406.30
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| £54.7m | 33.7% | +6.9% | |
| £34.3m | 21.2% | +4% | |
| £18.9m | 11.6% | -14.3% | |
| £12.9m | 8% | -8.6% | |
| £12.3m | 7.6% | +10.8% | |
| £10.2m | 6.3% | -13% | |
| £7.8m | 4.8% | +4.7% | |
| £7.7m | 4.7% | -7.4% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
0406.30 Processed cheese, not grated or powdered
UK lines: 0406.30
- 0406 30 10 10In the manufacture of which no cheeses other than: processed emmentaler
- 0406 30 10 20In the manufacture of which no cheeses other than: processed gruyère
- 0406 30 10 90In the manufacture of which no cheeses other than: other
- 0406 30 31 00Of a fat content, by weight, not exceeding 36%: not exceeding 48%
- 0406 30 39 00Of a fat content, by weight, not exceeding 36%: exceeding 48%
- 0406 30 90 00Of a fat content, by weight, exceeding 36%
Binding rulings for similar goods
Decisions of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CROSS) and HMRC (Advance Tariff Rulings) on goods classified here. A ruling binds only its holder, but shows how the authorities classify similar goods. The descriptions are the authorities’ own, in English.
- N335977 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of Processed Cheddar Cheese from Venezuela
- N320340 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of Pre-fried Frozen Cheese Sticks from Argentina
- N313461 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of Crema di Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy
- N312690 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of Processed Cheese from Netherlands
- 600010759 HMRC
Cheese. This is flavoured with chilli. The product can be pan fried or grilled. The production involves a double cooking process to increase firmness and the characteristic dense texture of the cheese. The item is vacuum packed and weighs 700g.
9 rulings in total for this code
Legal notes
Notes
1. The expression ‘milk’ means full-cream milk or partially or completely skimmed milk.
2. For the purposes of heading 0403, yogurt may be concentrated or flavoured and may contain added sugar or other sweetening matter, fruit, nuts, cocoa, chocolate, spices, coffee or coffee extracts, plants, parts of plants, cereals or bakers’ wares, provided that any added substance is not used for the purpose of replacing, in whole or in part, any milk constituent, and the product retains the essential character of yogurt.
3. For the purposes of heading 0405:
(a) the term ‘butter’ means natural butter, whey butter or recombined butter (fresh, salted or rancid, including canned butter) derived exclusively from milk, with a milkfat content of 80 % or more but not more than 95 % by weight, a maximum milk solids-not-fat content of 2 % by weight and a maximum water content of 16 % by weight. Butter does not contain added emulsifiers, but may contain sodium chloride, food colours, neutralising salts and cultures of harmless lactic-acid-producing bacteria;
(b) the expression ‘dairy spreads’ means a spreadable emulsion of the water-in-oil type, containing milkfat as the only fat in the product, with a milkfat content of 39 % or more but less than 80 % by weight.
4. Products obtained by the concentration of whey and with the addition of milk or milkfat are to be classified as cheese in heading 0406 provided that they have the three following characteristics:
(a) a milkfat content, by weight of the dry matter, of 5 % or more;
(b) a dry matter content, by weight, of at least 70 % but not exceeding 85 %; and
(c) they are moulded or capable of being moulded.
5. This chapter does not cover:
(a) non-living insects, unfit for human consumption (heading 0511);
(b) products obtained from whey, containing by weight more than 95 % lactose, expressed as anhydrous lactose calculated on the dry matter (heading 1702);
(c) products obtained from milk by replacing one or more of its natural constituents (for example, butyric fats) by another substance (for example, oleic fats) (heading 1901 or 2106); or
(d) albumins (including concentrates of two or more whey proteins, containing by weight more than 80 % whey proteins, calculated on the dry matter) (heading 3502) or globulins (heading 3504).
6. For the purposes of heading 0410, the term ‘insects’ means edible non-living insects, whole or in parts, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, smoked, salted or in brine, as well as flours and meals of insects, fit for human consumption. However, it does not cover edible non-living insects otherwise prepared or preserved (generally Section IV).
Additional notes
1. The duty rate applicable to mixtures falling in headings 0401 to 0406 shall be as follows:
(a) in mixtures where one of the components represents at least 90 % by weight, the rate applicable to that component applies;
(b) in other mixtures, the rate applicable shall be that of the component which results in the highest amount of import duty.
2. For the purposes of subheadings 040811 and 040819, the following applies:
the expression ‘otherwise preserved’ applies also to egg yolks with limited amounts of salt (in general, an amount of up to around 12 % by weight) or minor amounts of chemicals added for preservation purposes, provided that both of the following conditions are fulfilled:
(i) the products retain the character of egg yolks of subheadings 040811 and 040819;
(ii) salt or chemicals are not used at a level higher than is necessary for the purposes of preservation.
3. Dairy produce of Chapter 4 includes dairy permeates, which are milk products characterised by a high content of lactose and obtained by removing milk fats and milk proteins from milk, whey, cream and/or sweet buttermilk, and/or from similar raw material by ultrafiltration or other processing techniques.
4. For the purposes of subheadings 040410 and 040490 the following applies :
Milk permeate and whey permeate can be analytically distinguished by the presence of substances (e.g. lactic acid, lactates and glycomacropeptides) which are associated with whey production.
Subheading 040410 includes ‘whey permeate’ which is a product with generally a slightly sour smell, obtained from whey or mixtures of natural whey constituents by ultrafiltration or other processing techniques.
The presence of substances associated with whey production (e.g. lactic acid, lactates and glycomacropeptides) is a condition for the classification of whey permeates into that subheading.
Subheading 040490 includes ‘milk permeate’ which is a product with generally a milky smell obtained from milk by ultrafiltration or other processing techniques. The quantitatively limited level or absence of lactic acid and lactates (lower than 0,100 % by weight, in milk permeates in powder form, or lower than 0,015 % by weight in milk permeates in liquid form) as well as the absence of glycomacropeptides, are the conditions for the classification of milk permeates into subheading 040490.
The method to be used for the detection of lactates shall be the ISO 8069:2005 method and the method to detect rennet whey (i.e. the presence of caseinomacropeptides such as glycomacropeptides) shall be the method set out in Appendix II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/150.
In the UK Global Tariff, 0406 30 90 00 is one of 6 lines under subheading 0406.30, processed cheese, not grated or powdered.
The third-country duty is a specific or compound duty: 179.00 GBP / 100 kg.
Goods from 168 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard 179 GBP / 100 kg; 162 of them pay no duty at all, for example under DCTS Comprehensive or European Union.
In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported processed cheese (HS 0406.30) worth £162.2m (up 0% on the year before), at an average of £5.17 per kg; Belgium supplied 34%, followed by France.
For the same subheading, the Türkiye duty is 140%, the US duty is 6.4%–20%, the Mexico duty is 45%, the Brazil duty is 14.4%, the Argentina duty is 16%, the Peru duty is free, the New Zealand duty is free, the Japan duty is 40%, the Taiwan duty is 5%, the GCC duty is 5% and the Nigeria duty is 20%.
The UK imported goods of subheading 0406.30 worth US$203m in 2024; the largest supplier was Belgium.
Questions and answers
What is the UK import duty for commodity code 0406 30 90 00?
The third-country duty in the UK Global Tariff is 179.00 GBP / 100 kg. Preferential rates for goods from agreement countries, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which countries get a lower rate on 0406 30 90 00?
168 countries have a preferential rate on this line, 162 of them at 0%, under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union and DCTS Enhanced and other arrangements. The rate applies only to goods that meet the rules of origin of the agreement, with proof of origin. Choose the country of origin on this page to see its rate.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
For subheading 0406.30 as a whole, the largest supplier in 2024 was Belgium (US$67m), followed by France.