About this tool
Before you buy from a supplier, it helps to know whether the goods can come into Great Britain at all, and what paperwork they need. This tool checks a product against the UK Trade Tariff and gives a plain verdict.
Describe the product in your own words, or enter a commodity code, and say where it was made. The tool suggests candidate codes for you to confirm. It then checks duty, health controls, licences, restrictions, trade remedies and country measures, and lists the documents. First-time importers, online sellers and buyers vetting a new supplier use it.
It reads the UK Trade Tariff and CDUK’s own product hints. It does not classify goods for you and does not cover Northern Ireland. A verdict is what the tariff shows, not a ruling.
How this was worked out
What the tool does with your answers, in order.
Describe the product or enter a commodity code, and say where it was made.
The tool searches the tariff and shows three to five candidate codes with what tells them apart.
You confirm the code; the tool never classifies on your behalf.
It checks tariff, health, licensing, restrictions, trade remedies and country measures, each separately.
You get a verdict, the duty and VAT in words, any controls, and a documents checklist.
Other rules that often apply, such as product safety marking, are listed as hints outside the tariff.
Worked example: Cheese made in France (illustrative)
- Productcommodity code 0406, confirmed by you
- VerdictPermitted with requirements
- Health controlsIPAFFS pre-notification and a health certificate
- Borderthe goods must enter through a suitable border control post
- Documentscommercial invoice, packing list, transport document, health certificate, IPAFFS reference
- As the importer you needa GB EORI number and someone to lodge the declaration
Illustrative example, not a ruling. The live result shows the tariff date and the sources used.
Your questions, answered.
Short answers about the Can I Import This?.
How do I know if I can import a product into the UK?
Find its commodity code, then check the UK Trade Tariff for measures on that code and origin. Most goods are generally permitted with duty and VAT only. Others need certificates, pre-notification or a licence, and a few are prohibited or restricted. This tool runs those checks for Great Britain and shows what it found.
What does “Permitted with requirements” mean?
It means the tariff attaches conditions that you or your supplier can satisfy with documents, such as a health certificate or pre-notification. The goods can be imported if the conditions are met. The tool lists the document codes and who issues them, but only the authorities can confirm that a document is acceptable.
Do I need an import licence?
Only for controlled goods, such as some firearms, certain chemicals or protected species. Where the tariff indicates a licence is needed, the tool shows “Controlled: a licence may be required” and names the type. If no licence is indicated, it says so, but you should still check with the issuing body.
Why does it ask me to confirm the commodity code?
Classification is a decision for you and, ultimately, HMRC. The tool offers likely codes and shows what separates them, but the right code depends on what the goods are made of and how they are used. If you are unsure, it answers at heading level in ranges and says the exact code decides.
What food and plant controls apply?
Animal and plant products usually need pre-notification in IPAFFS, a health or phytosanitary certificate, and entry through a border control post. Risk categories and checks vary by product and origin. These rules are dated: the Border Target Operating Model applies now, and the UK and EU are negotiating an SPS agreement that the UK government intends to take effect in mid-2027.
Where does the data come from?
The tariff measures come from the UK Trade Tariff, the official UK service, refreshed daily. Product hints for rules outside customs, such as product safety, are authored by CDUK and keyed by HS chapter. Health-control data is drawn from Defra and APHA sources. Each result shows the date checked.
What does this tool not cover?
It does not cover Northern Ireland, EU imports or personal imports, which follow different rules. It does not check sanctions beyond what the tariff shows, product safety law, or whether your supplier is reliable. It never says goods are legally permitted if the conditions cannot be determined.
Data sources
- UK Trade Tariff United Kingdom · daily; cached 24 hours
- GOV.UK: import food, animals and plants (Defra and APHA) United Kingdom · daily check
- CDUK authored product-hint table (keyed by HS chapter) United Kingdom · on regulatory change
United Kingdom · data checked 3 Oct 2026. UK government data is reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Guidance only — not adviceWhat this tool is, and is not
This tool gives general guidance and indicative figures based on the information you enter and on official data available at the date shown. It is not legal, tax, customs or financial advice, it is not a ruling or a decision by any customs authority, and it does not recommend any course of action, guarantee, amount, route, supplier or service.
Customs authorities decide the classification, value, origin, charges and guarantee amounts that apply. You remain solely responsible for your declarations, guarantees, shipments and transactions, and for checking every figure against HMRC’s published guidance and the official sources before you rely on it or act on it.
Rates, rules and data can change without notice, and the results may be incomplete or inaccurate. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Customs Declarations UK accepts no liability for any loss, cost, penalty, delay or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, this tool or its results.
