EU Combined Nomenclature · CN code · HS 4818.20
4818 20 10: Handkerchiefs and cleansing or facial tissues
Handkerchiefs, facial tissues and paper towels
✓ Can be used in a customs declaration Data: EU Combined Nomenclature, in force from 1 January 2026 · checked on 24 October 2026
- 4818 Toilet paper and similar paper, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres, of a kind used for household or sanitary purposes, in rolls of a width not exceeding 36 cm, or cut to size or shape; handkerchiefs, cleansing tissues, towels, tablecloths, serviettes, bedsheets and similar household, sanitary or hospital articles, articles of apparel and clothing accessories, of paper pulp, paper, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibres:
- 4818 20 Handkerchiefs, cleansing or facial tissues and towels:
- 4818 20 10 Handkerchiefs and cleansing or facial tissues
What you pay
Importing into EU
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 3
- 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 4
- Import controlImport control of timber and timber products subject to the FLEGT licensing scheme
- Applies to goods from
- Indonesia
- Legal act
- Decision 0284/14
- Documents
- C690 FLEGT import licence for timber
- C631 Formal letter validating the use of non-wooden or recycled materials for paper products, issued by the Ministry of Industry of the FLEGT VPA partner country from which the paper products are originating
- Y057 Goods not requiring the presentation of a FLEGT import licence for timber
- 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
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 20% -
Belgium 21% -
Bulgaria 20% -
Croatia 25% -
Cyprus 19% -
Czechia 21% -
Denmark 25% -
Estonia 24% -
Finland 25.5% -
France 20% -
Germany 19% -
Greece 6% reduced rate -
Hungary 27% -
Ireland 23% -
Italy 22% -
Latvia 21% -
Lithuania 5% reduced rate -
Luxembourg 17% -
Malta 18% -
Netherlands 21% -
Poland 23% -
Portugal 23% -
Romania 21% -
Slovakia 23% -
Slovenia 22% -
Spain 21% -
Sweden 25%
TEDB · 25 October 2026
EU: imports by month · HS 4818.20
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 United Kingdom | €85.6m | 41% | -1.6% |
 Serbia | €20.3m | 9.7% | +31.7% |
 China | €19.7m | 9.4% | +31.4% |
 Türkiye | €18.7m | 9% | +5% |
 Bosnia & Herzegovina | €16.8m | 8.1% | -0.1% |
 Ukraine | €14.5m | 6.9% | +22.5% |
 Switzerland | €12.7m | 6.1% | -7.1% |
 United States | €6m | 2.9% | -60.4% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
4818.20 Handkerchiefs, cleansing or facial tissues and towels
UK Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines Türkiye Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines USA Free General (MFN) 1 tariff line 
Canada Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Mexico 25% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Brazil 14.4% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Argentina 16% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Peru 6% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
New Zealand Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Japan Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Taiwan Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 3 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 20% Third-country duty 1 tariff line EU lines: 4818.20
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.
- N340077 U.S. CBP
A country of origin and marking determination on various paper products
- N333041 U.S. CBP
A country of origin and marking determination of various paper products
- N329104 U.S. CBP
A country of origin determination of various paper products
- N285765 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of an emergency beauty kit from China
- 600014079 HMRC
This product is facial tissues that can be used to clean. Grade A tissue (100% wood pulp) - FSC Plain white Tissues Sheet size: 200*200mm 3ply*10 sheets per wallet bag, Wallet size: 12X8X2CM
- 600012431 HMRC
These Facial Tissues come in a box 100 tissues offering you approximately. Each one has been manufactured from super soft 2ply tissue and is suitable for everything from mopping spills to wiping noses. The boxes have been redesigned with the bright and bold Union Jack - ideal for festivities and…
- 600012432 HMRC
XL Facial Tissues have a high level of absorbancy paired with a larger than normal dimension. The pebble box design uses neutral colours to blend in well with your existing decór and protects the tissues until required. An open slit along the top allows a single tissue to be removed at any given…
- 600012441 HMRC
The Facial Tissues 2 Ply 36 Pack have been manufactured from paper. They are provided in a cardboard box which has a perforated opening at the top. The tissues can be used from wiping your face to wiping up spills. They are high quality and soft. They are folded to allow single tissues to be…
12 rulings in total for this code
Legal notes
EU deforestation regulation (EUDR)
Products of these commodities may only be placed on the EU market or exported if they are deforestation-free, legally produced and covered by a due diligence statement.
- Wood applies from 30 December 2026
Paper and Paperboard: Articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard (not including waste as defined in Article 3, point (1), of Directive 2008/98/EC; not including used products and second-hand products; not including recovered (waste and scrap) products and products derived from recovered (waste and scrap) products; not including single use packing material and packing containers used exclusively to support, protect or carry another product made available on the market or exported and presented with that product; not including packing material and packing containers clearly suitable for repetitive use used exclusively to support, protect or carry another product made available on the market or exported and presented with that product from the moment they are used for such purpose and onwards; not including items of correspondence and marketing and information materials exclusively accompanying another product made available on the market or exported, or supplied for marketing or information purposes free of charge)
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, Annex I (consolidated text)
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
PAPER AND PAPERBOARD; ARTICLES OF PAPER PULP, OF PAPER OR OF PAPERBOARD
General
Rolls of paper, the outer layers of which have been partially soaked in water or otherwise damaged, remain classified in the appropriate subheading of headings 4801 to 4811.
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 | Handkerchiefs and cleansing or facial tissues | Free | — |
| 2025 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2024 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2023 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2022 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2021 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2020 | unchanged | Free | — |
| 2019 | Handkerchiefs and cleansing or facial tissues | Free | — |
CN code 4818 20 10 is a line of the EU Combined Nomenclature under HS subheading 4818.20 (handkerchiefs, cleansing or facial tissues and towels).
The third-country duty is free, and quantities are declared in —.
Imports of handkerchiefs, facial tissues and paper towels (HS 4818.20) into the EU came to €208.6m between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 0% on the year before); United Kingdom supplied 41%, followed by Serbia.
For the same subheading, the UK duty is free, the Türkiye duty is free, the US duty is free, the Canada duty is free, the Mexico duty is 25%, the Brazil duty is 14.4%, the Argentina duty is 16%, the Peru duty is 6%, the New Zealand duty is free, the Japan duty is free, the Taiwan duty is free, 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 20%.
EU member states imported goods of subheading 4818.20 worth US$3bn in 2024; the largest supplier from outside the EU was the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom ranked 1st with US$93m.
Questions and answers
What is the EU import duty for CN code 4818 20 10?
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 4818.20 as a whole, the largest supplier from outside the EU in 2024 was the United Kingdom (US$93m), followed by the United States.
Typical products
Everyday names, not part of the legal text.