3903 · Polymers of styrene, in primary forms
This heading does not cover styrenated polyesters (heading 3907).
EU Combined Nomenclature · CN code · HS 3903.90
3903 90 20
3903 90 20: Brominated polystyrene, containing by weight 58 % or more but not more than 71 % of bromine, in one of the forms mentioned in note 6(b) to this chapter
Other styrene polymers, primary
✓ Can be used in a customs declaration Data: EU Combined Nomenclature, in force from 1 January 2026 · checked on 24 October 2026
- 3903 Polymers of styrene, in primary forms:
- 3903 90 Other:
- 3903 90 20 Brominated polystyrene, containing by weight 58 % or more but not more than 71 % of bromine, in one of the forms mentioned in note 6(b) to this chapter
What you pay
Importing into EU
Customs duty Free standard rate depends on the country of origin
Additional duties and charges 3 additional measures Import requirements: 4 VAT standard rate of the member state of import, 17% to 27%
Duty calculatorCalculate duty and taxes → 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 4
- Duty suspensionAirworthiness tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- Regulation 1517/18
- Documents
- C119 Authorised Release Certificate — EASA Form 1 (Appendix I to Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012), or equivalent certificate
- Duty on low-value parcelsLow-value consignment customs duty 3 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 duty 3 EUR
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- In force
- from 1 November 2026
- Legal act
- Regulation 0382/26
- Handling feeUnion handling fee 2 EUR
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- In force
- from 1 November 2026
- Legal act
- Regulation 2108/26
- Documents
- Y126 Goods sold in distance sales
Import requirements 5
- Import controlImport control of fluorinated greenhouse gases
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- Regulation 0573/24
- Documents
- Y160 Goods other than those falling under the applicable provisions of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Y169 Products and equipment, including parts (excluding military and repair exemption) listed in Annex IV containing F-gases or relies upon F-gases not subject to prohibition as imposed by Article 11.1. (Reg 2024/573).
- Y123 Undertaking registered in the F-Gas Portal according to Article 20 of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Y054 Goods labelled according to the provisions of Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Y163 Net mass of fluorinated greenhouse gases charged in products and equipment
- Y121 Tonnes of CO₂ equivalent of bulk gases and of gases contained in products or equipment, and parts thereof
- 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
- Belarus, Ukraine
- Legal act
- Regulation 0765/06, Regulation 0692/14
- Documents
- Y727 The prohibitions defined in article 1ra paragraph 1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 765/2006 do not apply (see exemptions in article 1ra paragraph 3)
- Y728 The prohibitions defined in article 1ra paragraph 1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 765/2006 do not apply (see exemptions in article 1ra paragraph 4)
- L152 Import authorisation by virtue of article 1ra paragraph 10 of Council Regulation (EU) 765/2006
- Y870 Goods entered the territory of the customs union of the EU and presented to customs authorities prior to the entry into force or to applicability date of the present sanction, whichever is latest (see Article 8f of Regulation (EU) No 765/2006)
- 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
- N954 Movement certificate EUR.1
- Import control
- Applies to goods from
- Russia
- In force
- until 31 December 2027
- Legal act
- Regulation 0833/14
- Documents
- L142 Import authorisation by virtue of article 3i paragraph 3c of Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014
- Y874 The prohibitions defined in article 3i.1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 do not apply (see exemptions in article 3i.3aa)
- L143 Import authorisation by virtue of article 12b.2 of Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014
- Y859 Goods entered the territory of the customs union of the EU and presented to customs authorities prior to the entry into force or to applicability date of the present sanction, whichever is latest (see Article 12e of Regulation (EU) No 833/2014)
- Import control
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- Regulation 0263/22
- Documents
- 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
- N954 Movement certificate EUR.1
- N864 Invoice declaration or origin declaration made out by any exporter on invoice or any other commercial document
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 | 26 June 2024 |
| Export controlSanctions regime: Belarus | Belarus | Regulation 0765/06 | 25 February 2025 |
| Export control - Waste | All third countries | Regulation 1157/24 | 21 May 2026 |
| Export control of fluorinated greenhouse gases | All third countries | Regulation 0573/24 | 12 March 2025 |
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.
-
Austria 0% reduced rate -
Belgium 21% -
Bulgaria 20% -
Croatia 25% -
Cyprus 19% -
Czechia 21% -
Denmark 25% -
Estonia 9% reduced rate -
Finland 25.5% -
France 20% -
Germany 19% -
Greece 24% -
Hungary 27% -
Ireland 23% -
Italy 22% -
Latvia 21% -
Lithuania 21% -
Luxembourg 17% -
Malta 18% -
Netherlands 21% -
Poland 23% -
Portugal 23% -
Romania 21% -
Slovakia 23% -
Slovenia 22% -
Spain 21% -
Sweden 25%
TEDB · 26 October 2026
EU: imports by month · HS 3903.90
last 12 months€211.4m-0.9% · previous 12 months
Average import price€2.49 per kg
Preferential rate56%
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 South Korea | €78.7m | 37.2% | +23.9% |
 United States | €40.4m | 19.1% | -15.6% |
 China | €28.7m | 13.6% | +36.9% |
 Israel | €16.8m | 7.9% | -8.1% |
 Japan | €13.9m | 6.6% | -35.2% |
 Türkiye | €11m | 5.2% | +11.9% |
 United Kingdom | €6.9m | 3.3% | +13.2% |
 Taiwan | €5.2m | 2.4% | -33.7% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
3903.90 Polymers of styrene, in primary forms: other
UK Free – 6% Third-country duty 10 tariff lines · average 4.8% Türkiye Free – 6.5% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines · average 2.2% USA 6.5% General (MFN) 2 tariff lines 
Canada Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Mexico 5% – 7% Third-country duty 6 tariff lines · average 5.8% 
Brazil Free – 20% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines · average 10.9% 
Argentina Free – 12.6% Third-country duty 5 tariff lines · average 10.1% 
Peru Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
New Zealand Free – 5% Third-country duty 4 tariff lines · average 2.5% Japan 3.1% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines Taiwan 1% – 2.5% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines · average 2% 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Norway Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
North Macedonia Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Nigeria 5% Third-country duty 1 tariff line EU lines: 3903.90
- 3903 90 10Copolymer, solely of styrene with allyl alcohol, of an acetyl value of 175 or more
- 3903 90 20Brominated polystyrene, containing by weight 58 % or more but not more than 71 % of bromine, in one of the forms mentioned in note 6(b) to this chapter
- 3903 90 90Polymers of styrene, in primary forms: other, other
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.
- N319986 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a acrylonitrile-butyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate-styrene copolymer (CAS # 25852-38-4) and a styrene acrylonitrile butyl acrylate polymer (CAS # 26299-47-8) from China
- N278902 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of methyl methacrylate-butadeine-styrene copolymers (CAS-25053-09-2) from Korea
- N278871 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of nine copolymers of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) CAS-9003-56-9 and two copolymer blends of ABS CAS-9003-56-9 and methylstyrene-acrylonitrile-styrene CAS-9010-96-2 from Korea
- N272473 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of Joncryl® 678 from Germany
Legal notes
Subheading notes
1. Within any one heading of this chapter, polymers (including copolymers) and chemically modified polymers are to be classified according to the following provisions:
(a) where there is a subheading named ‘Other’ in the same series:
(1) the designation in a subheading of a polymer by the prefix ‘poly’ (for example, polyethylene and polyamide-6,6) means that the constituent monomer unit or monomer units of the named polymer taken together must contribute 95 % or more by weight of the total polymer content;
(2) the copolymers named in subheadings 390130, 390140, 390320, 390330 and 390430 are to be classified in those subheadings, provided that the comonomer units of the named copolymers contribute 95 % or more by weight of the total polymer content;
(3) chemically modified polymers are to be classified in the subheading named ‘Other’, provided that the chemically modified polymers are not more specifically covered by another subheading;
(4) polymers not meeting (1), (2) or (3) above, are to be classified in the subheading, among the remaining subheadings in the series, covering polymers of that monomer unit which predominates by weight over every other single comonomer unit. For this purpose, constituent monomer units of polymers falling in the same subheading shall be taken together. Only the constituent comonomer units of the polymers in the series of subheadings under consideration are to be compared;
(b) where there is no subheading named ‘Other’ in the same series:
(1) polymers are to be classified in the subheading covering polymers of that monomer unit which predominates by weight over every other single comonomer unit. For this purpose, constituent monomer units of polymers falling in the same subheading shall be taken together. Only the constituent comonomer units of the polymers in the series under consideration are to be compared;
(2) chemically modified polymers are to be classified in the subheading appropriate to the unmodified polymer.
Polymer blends are to be classified in the same subheading as polymers of the same monomer units in the same proportions.
2. For the purposes of subheading 392043, the term ‘plasticisers’ includes secondary plasticisers.
CN Explanatory Notes
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.
General notes to the chapter
PLASTICS AND ARTICLES THEREOF
General
The HS Explanatory Note to Chapter 39, General, ‘Combinations of plastics and materials other than textiles’, point (d), applies, mutatis mutandis, to combinations of carbon fibres and plastics.
Note 4
Calculation of mass ratios of monomer units in copolymers:
The mass ratios of the respective monomer units in copolymer chains are calculated based on the molecular structure of the copolymer (not the starting materials), taking into account the formation reaction of the polymer. When applicable, the atom linking two adjacent monomer units is attributed to the monomer unit from which the atom originates.
The following examples illustrate the calculation of the monomer unit content in copolymers:
- In poly(ethylene terephthalate), which is a polyester comprised of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol moieties, both alcoholic oxygens are attributed to the glycol monomer unit. Hence, ethylene glycol is calculated as C2H4O2, and terephthalate is calculated as C8H4O2.
- In polyamide-6,6, which is a polyamide comprised of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid, both nitrogen atoms are attributed to the diamine monomer unit. Hence, hexamethylenediamine is calculated as C6H14N2 and adipic acid is calculated as C6H8O2.
Note 6
The term ‘solutions’, used both in this note and in note 4 to Chapter 32, does not apply to colloidal solutions.
For the definition of the term ‘primary forms’, see note 6 to this chapter and the HS General Explanatory Note to this chapter, ‘Primary Forms’.
Explanatory Notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union, Official Journal C (consolidated text and later amendments) · © European Union
This line in earlier years
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 | Brominated polystyrene, containing by weight 58 % or more but not more than 71 % of bromine, in one of the forms mentioned in note 6(b) to this chapter | Free | — |
| 2025 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2024 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2023 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2022 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2021 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2020 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2019 | Brominated polystyrene, containing by weight 58 % or more but not more than 71 % of bromine, in one of the forms mentioned in note 6(b) to this chapter | Free | — |
CN code 3903 90 20 is a line of the EU Combined Nomenclature under HS subheading 3903.90 (polymers of styrene, in primary forms: other).
The third-country duty is free, and quantities are declared in —.
Imports of other styrene polymers, primary (HS 3903.90) into the EU came to €211.4m between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 1% on the year before); South Korea supplied 37%, followed by United States.
For the same subheading, the UK duty is 0%–6%, the Türkiye duty is 0%–6.5%, the US duty is 6.5%, the Canada duty is free, the Mexico duty is 5%–7%, the Brazil duty is 0%–20%, the Argentina duty is 0%–12.6%, the Peru duty is free, the New Zealand duty is 0%–5%, the Japan duty is 3.1%, the Taiwan duty is 1%–2.5%, 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 5%.
EU member states imported goods of subheading 3903.90 worth US$1bn in 2024; the largest supplier from outside the EU was South Korea, and the United Kingdom ranked 7th with US$4m.
Questions and answers
What is the EU import duty for CN code 3903 90 20?
The third-country duty in the EU Combined Nomenclature is free; the supplementary unit is —. Preferential rates for goods from agreement countries, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Where does the EU import these goods from?
For subheading 3903.90 as a whole, the largest supplier from outside the EU in 2024 was South Korea (US$86m), followed by the United States.