3204 16 00: Reactive dyes and preparations based thereon
Reactive dyes
Not declarable on its own: use one of its 2 subdivisionsData: EU Combined Nomenclature, in force from 1 January 2026 · checked on 24 October 2026
3204 Synthetic organic colouring matter, whether or not chemically defined; preparations as specified in note 3 to this chapter based on synthetic organic colouring matter; synthetic organic products of a kind used as fluorescent brightening agents or as luminophores, whether or not chemically defined:
Synthetic organic colouring matter and preparations based thereon as specified in note 3 to this chapter:
3204 16 00 Reactive dyes and preparations based thereon
What you pay
Importing into EU
Customs duty6.5% standard rate depends on the country of origin
C119 Authorised Release Certificate — EASA Form 1 (Appendix I to Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012), or equivalent certificate
Duty suspensionAutonomous tariff suspensionFree
Only for
3204 16 00 30 Preparations based on Colourant Reactive Black 5|(CAS RN 17095-24-8) with a content thereof of 60|% or more but not more than 75|% by weight, and including one or more of the following: -|Colourant Reactive Yellow 201|(CAS RN 27624-67-5), -|1-Naphthalenesulphonicacid,4-amino-3-[[4-[[2-(sulphooxy)ethyl]sulphonyl]phenyl]azo]-, disodium salt (CAS RN 250688-43-8), or -|3,5-diamino-4-[[4-[[2-(sulphooxy)ethyl]sulphonyl]fenyl]azo]-2-[[2-sulfo-4-[[2-(sulphooxy)ethyl]sulfonyl]phenyl]azobenzoic acid sodium salt (CAS RN 906532-68-1)
Applies to goods from
all countries except Belarus, Russia
Legal act
Regulation 2605/25
Duty suspensionAutonomous tariff suspensionFree
Only for
3204 16 00 40 Aqueous solution of Colourant C.I. Reactive Red 141|(CAS|RN|61931-52-0) -|with a colourant C.I. Reactive Red 141|content of 13|% or more by weight, and -|containing a preservative
Applies to goods from
all countries except Belarus, Russia
Legal act
Regulation 2605/25
Duty on low-value parcelsLow-value consignment customs duty3 EUR
Applies to goods from
all countries
In force
until 31 October 2026
Legal act
Regulation 0382/26
Duty on low-value parcelsLow-value consignment customs duty3 EUR
all countries except Andorra, Switzerland, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino
Legal act
Regulation 0632/21
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
Y170 Goods with third country origin coming from Andorra, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y171 Goods with third country origin coming from Switzerland, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y174 Goods with third country origin coming from Iceland, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y175 Goods with third country origin coming from Liechtenstein, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y176 Goods with third country origin coming from Norway, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y177 Goods with third country origin coming from San Marino, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y930 The declared goods are not concerned by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/632
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).
Import controlVeterinary control
Applies to goods from
Faroe Islands, Greenland
Legal act
Regulation 0632/21
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
Y170 Goods with third country origin coming from Andorra, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y171 Goods with third country origin coming from Switzerland, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y174 Goods with third country origin coming from Iceland, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y175 Goods with third country origin coming from Liechtenstein, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y176 Goods with third country origin coming from Norway, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y177 Goods with third country origin coming from San Marino, according to the relevant EU legislation.
Y930 The declared goods are not concerned by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/632
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).
Import controlImport control - Waste
Applies to goods from
all countries
Legal act
Regulation 1157/24
Documents
C672 Information document accompanying shipments of waste as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 – Article 18 and Annex VII
C669 Notification document as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 - Article 5 and Annex IA
Y923 Product not subjected to the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2024/1157
C670 Movement document as mentioned in Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 – Article 5 and Annex IB
Import control
Applies to goods from
Ukraine
Legal act
Regulation 0692/14
Documents
Y997 Goods not originating from or destined to Crimea or Sevastopol (Articles 2 and 2b.1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 692/2014)
N864 Invoice declaration or origin declaration made out by any exporter on invoice or any other commercial document
Y984 Goods not originating from or not destined for the non-government controlled areas of Ukraine in the oblasts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia
N864 Invoice declaration or origin declaration made out by any exporter on invoice or any other commercial document
TARIC subdivisions
Declare the 10-digit TARIC code that fits the goods: measures can differ between subdivisions.
3204 16 00 30
Preparations based on Colourant Reactive Black 5 (CAS RN 17095-24-8) with a content thereof of 60 % or more but not more than 75 % by weight, and including one or more of the following: - Colourant Reactive Yellow 201 (CAS RN 27624-67-5), - 1-Naphthalenesulphonicacid,4-amino-3-[[4-[[2-(sulphooxy)ethyl]sulphonyl]phenyl]azo]-, disodium salt (CAS RN 250688-43-8), or - 3,5-diamino-4-[[4-[[2-(sulphooxy)ethyl]sulphonyl]fenyl]azo]-2-[[2-sulfo-4-[[2-(sulphooxy)ethyl]sulfonyl]phenyl]azobenzoic acid sodium salt (CAS RN 906532-68-1)
3204 16 00 40
Aqueous solution of Colourant C.I. Reactive Red 141 (CAS RN 61931-52-0) - with a colourant C.I. Reactive Red 141 content of 13 % or more by weight, and - containing a preservative
3204 16 00 90
Other
Export measures 4
Prohibitions, licences, controls and sanctions that apply when these goods leave the EU.
Export measures
Destination
Legal act
Validity
Export controlSanctions regime: Russia
Russia
Regulation 0833/14
22 October 2025
Export control on restricted goods and technologiesSanctions regime: Syria
Syria
Regulation 0697/13
24 July 2013
Export controlSanctions regime: Belarus
Belarus
Regulation 0765/06
24 April 2026
Export control - Waste
All third countries
Regulation 1157/24
21 May 2026
TARIC data as of 26 October 2026
Import VAT in the EU member states
The rate each member state applies to goods of this code, from the Commission’s Taxes in Europe Database. A reduced rate can cover only part of the goods under a code: check the national VAT law.
Austria20%
Belgium21%
Bulgaria20%
Croatia25%
Cyprus19%
Czechia21%
Denmark25%
Estonia24%
Finland25.5%
France20%
Germany19%
Greece24%
Hungary27%
Ireland23%
Italy22%
Latvia21%
Lithuania21%
Luxembourg17%
Malta18%
Netherlands21%
Poland23%
Portugal23%
Romania21%
Slovakia23%
Slovenia22%
Spain21%
Sweden6% reduced rate
TEDB · 26 October 2026
Preferential rates by country
Agreement or scheme
Countries
Rate
standard rate (no agreement)
—
6.5%
GSP-EBA (Special arrangement for the least-developed countries - Everything But Arms)
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 42 more
Preferential origin in accordance with the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco on the amendment of Protocols 1 and 4 to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part.
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.
Protest and Application for Further Review; Protest No. 1601-11-100298; Classification of Preparations Based on Mixtures of Disperse, Reactive, Acid and Vat Dyes; Temporary Duty Suspensions under heading 9902, HTSUS
The tariff classification of Various Chemical Compounds from China and Switzerland
Legal notes
Notes
1. This chapter does not cover:
(a) separate chemically defined elements or compounds (except those of heading 3203 or 3204, inorganic products of a kind used as luminophores (heading 3206), glass obtained from fused quartz or other fused silica in the forms provided for in heading 3207, and also dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale of heading 3212);
(b) tannates or other tannin derivatives of products of headings 2936 to 2939, 2941 or 3501 to 3504; or
(c) mastics of asphalt or other bituminous mastics (heading 2715).
2. Heading 3204 includes mixtures of stabilised diazonium salts and couplers for the production of azo dyes.
3. Headings 3203, 3204, 3205 and 3206 apply also to preparations based on colouring matter (including, in the case of heading 3206, colouring pigments of heading 2530 or Chapter 28, metal flakes and metal powders), of a kind used for colouring any material or used as ingredients in the manufacture of colouring preparations. The headings do not apply, however, to pigments dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints, including enamels (heading 3212), or to other preparations of headings 3207, 3208, 3209, 3210, 3212, 3213 or 3215.
4. Heading 3208 includes solutions (other than collodions) consisting of any of the products specified in headings 3901 to 3913 in volatile organic solvents when the weight of the solvent exceeds 50 % of the weight of the solution.
5. The expression ‘colouring matter’ in this chapter does not include products of a kind used as extenders in oil paints, whether or not they are also suitable for colouring distempers.
6. The expression ‘stamping foils’ in heading 3212 applies only to thin sheets of a kind used for printing, for example, book covers or hat bands, and consisting of:
(a) metallic powder (including powder of precious metal) or pigment, agglomerated with glue, gelatin or other binder; or
(b) metal (including precious metal) or pigment, deposited on a supporting sheet of any material.
The European Commission's explanatory notes on how to classify goods in these CN codes. They are not legally binding but customs authorities follow them; they complement the HS Explanatory Notes of the World Customs Organization.
3204 11 00 to 3204 19 00 · Synthetic organic colouring matter and preparations based thereon as specified in note 3 to this chapter
These subheadings cover:
1. synthetic organic colouring matter, whether or not mixed together and whether or not diluted with mineral substances which have no dyeing properties, but containing only small quantities of surface-active products or other additives to encourage penetration and fixation of the dye (see the HS Explanatory Note to heading 3204, part (I), second paragraph, (A) and (B); and
2. the preparations specified in note 3 to this chapter, namely the products described in the HS Explanatory Note to heading 3204, part (I), second paragraph, (C) to (E).
With regard to colouring matter of subheadings 3204 11 00 to 3204 19 00 which, in view of their utilisation, may belong to two or more categories falling within different subheadings, see the HS Explanatory Note to subheadings 3204 11 to 3204 19, eleventh paragraph, to determine their classification.
3204 16 00 · Reactive dyes and preparations based thereon
See the HS Explanatory Note to subheadings 3204 11 to 3204 19, eighth paragraph.
General notes to the chapter
TANNING OR DYEING EXTRACTS; TANNINS AND THEIR DERIVATIVES; DYES, PIGMENTS AND OTHER COLOURING MATTER; PAINTS AND VARNISHES; PUTTY AND OTHER MASTICS; INKS
Note 4
The term ‘solutions’ used both in this note and in note 6(a) to Chapter 39 does not apply to colloidal solutions.
The Combined Nomenclature of each year, as published in the Official Journal: description, third-country duty and supplementary unit.
Year
Description
Third-country duty
Supplementary unit
2026
Reactive dyes and preparations based thereon
6.5%
—
2025
unchanged
6.5%
—
2024
unchanged
6.5%
—
2023
unchanged
6.5%
—
2022
unchanged
6.5%
—
2021
unchanged
6.5%
—
2020
unchanged
6.5%
—
2019
Reactive dyes and preparations based thereon
6.5%
—
CN code 3204 16 00 is a line of the EU Combined Nomenclature under HS subheading 3204.16 (reactive dyes and preparations based thereon).
The third-country duty is 6.5%, and quantities are declared in —.
140 countries pay no duty in the EU thanks to trade agreements and preference schemes such as GSP-EBA and CARIFORUM, against a standard rate of 6.5%.
Imports of reactive dyes (HS 3204.16) into the EU came to €51.6m between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 10% on the year before); India supplied 51%, followed by Taiwan.
For the same subheading, the UK duty is 6%, the Türkiye duty is 6.5%, the US duty is 6.5%, the Canada duty is free, the Mexico duty is free, the Brazil duty is 12.6%, the Argentina duty is 12.6%, the Peru duty is free, the New Zealand duty is free, the Japan duty is 4.4%, the Taiwan duty is 5%, the GCC duty is 5%, the Switzerland duty is free, the Norway duty is free, the North Macedonia duty is free and the Nigeria duty is 10%.
EU member states imported goods of subheading 3204.16 worth US$136m in 2024; the largest supplier from outside the EU was India, and the United Kingdom ranked 5th with US$3m.
Questions and answers
What is the EU import duty for CN code 3204 16 00?
The third-country duty in the EU Combined Nomenclature is 6.5%; the supplementary unit is —. Preferential rates for goods from agreement countries, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which countries get a lower rate on 3204 16 00?
153 countries have a preferential rate on this line, 140 of them at 0%, under GSP-EBA, CARIFORUM and OCTs 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 EU import these goods from?
For subheading 3204.16 as a whole, the largest supplier from outside the EU in 2024 was India (US$40m), followed by Thailand.
Tarifbase uses Google Analytics and Yandex Metrica cookies to see how the site is used and make it better. Choose “Reject” to turn them off. Privacy policy
EU Combined Nomenclature · CN code · 
India
Taiwan
Thailand
Switzerland
Japan
United Kingdom
Türkiye
China
USA
Canada
Mexico
Brazil
Argentina
Peru
New Zealand
GCC
Norway
North Macedonia
Nigeria