Heading · Chapter 30
3004: Medicaments (excluding goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses (including those in the form of transdermal administration systems) or in forms or packings for retail sale
12 subheadings make up heading 3004 in chapter 30 (pharmaceutical products).
Duty rates compared
Subheadings 12
- 3004.10Containing penicillins or derivatives thereof, with a penicillanic acid structure, or streptomycins or their derivativesPenicillin and streptomycin medicines
- 3004.20Medicaments: other, containing antibioticsAntibiotic medicines, dosed or retail
- 3004.31Other, containing hormones or other products of heading 2937: containing insulinInsulin medicines, dosed or retail
- 3004.32Containing corticosteroid hormones, their derivatives or structural analoguesCorticosteroid medicines, dosed or retail
- 3004.39Other, containing hormones or other products of heading 2937: otherOther hormone medicines, dosed or retail
- 3004.41Containing ephedrine or its salts
- 3004.42Containing pseudoephedrine (INN) or its salts
- 3004.43Containing norephedrine or its salts
- 3004.49Other, containing alkaloids or derivatives thereof: otherOther alkaloid medicines, dosed or retail
- 3004.50Other, containing vitamins or other products of heading 2936Vitamin medicines, dosed or retail
- 3004.60Other, containing antimalarial active principles described in Subheading Note 2 to this Chapter
- 3004.90Medicaments: otherOther medicines, dosed or for retail sale
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$5.4mUS$5.4m+US$368.9m+US$3.5bn+> US$24.1bn
Exports: 208
- Germany: US$66.4bn
- Switzerland: US$46.7bn
- Italy: US$38.4bn
- United States: US$37.2bn
- Ireland: US$32.1bn
- France: US$27.7bn
- India: US$24.1bn
- Slovenia: US$24bn
- Belgium: US$22.6bn
- United Kingdom: US$18.2bn
- Spain: US$14.9bn
- Denmark: US$14.5bn
- Netherlands: US$13.9bn
- China: US$10.4bn
- Canada: US$10bn
- Singapore: US$9.2bn
- Sweden: US$8.7bn
- Austria: US$8.3bn
- Hungary: US$7.4bn
- Japan: US$6bn
- Poland: US$3.5bn
- Greece: US$3bn
- Czechia: US$3bn
- Israel: US$2.1bn
- Mexico: US$2.1bn
- Romania: US$2bn
- Finland: US$2bn
- Portugal: US$1.7bn
- Türkiye: US$1.6bn
- Bulgaria: US$1.2bn
- Australia: US$1.2bn
- Brazil: US$1bn
- South Korea: US$1bn
- Croatia: US$928.7m
- Lithuania: US$863.9m
- Argentina: US$822.7m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$793.9m
- Taiwan: US$735.4m
- Malta: US$698.7m
- Norway: US$676.8m
- Slovakia: US$658.5m
- Latvia: US$643.3m
- Cyprus: US$530m
- Saudi Arabia: US$523m
- Thailand: US$478m
- Pakistan: US$465.5m
- Indonesia: US$446m
- Serbia: US$436.2m
- Malaysia: US$422.1m
- Guatemala: US$408.9m
- Egypt: US$371.8m
- Colombia: US$368.9m
- Jordan: US$368m
- South Africa: US$359.2m
- United Arab Emirates: US$336.7m
- Russia: US$332.4m
- Vietnam: US$212.1m
- Ukraine: US$207.7m
- North Macedonia: US$206.7m
- El Salvador: US$197.5m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$207.3mUS$207.3m+US$1.2bn+US$4.7bn+> US$17.4bn
Imports: 224
- United States: US$90.9bn
- Switzerland: US$47bn
- Germany: US$31bn
- Belgium: US$23.2bn
- China: US$19.3bn
- Italy: US$18.3bn
- United Kingdom: US$17.4bn
- France: US$17bn
- Japan: US$15.1bn
- Spain: US$14.1bn
- Netherlands: US$13bn
- Canada: US$9.5bn
- Slovenia: US$8.5bn
- Russia: US$8bn
- Poland: US$7.2bn
- Australia: US$5.7bn
- Saudi Arabia: US$5.4bn
- Brazil: US$5.4bn
- Ireland: US$5.3bn
- Czechia: US$5.2bn
- Romania: US$5.1bn
- Denmark: US$4.8bn
- South Korea: US$4.7bn
- Mexico: US$4.5bn
- Austria: US$4.5bn
- Sweden: US$3.8bn
- Taiwan: US$3.5bn
- Hungary: US$3.2bn
- United Arab Emirates: US$2.9bn
- Portugal: US$2.7bn
- Egypt: US$2.7bn
- Greece: US$2.7bn
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$2.6bn
- Türkiye: US$2.5bn
- Colombia: US$2.2bn
- Vietnam: US$2.2bn
- Israel: US$2.1bn
- Ukraine: US$1.9bn
- South Africa: US$1.9bn
- Singapore: US$1.8bn
- Slovakia: US$1.8bn
- Thailand: US$1.7bn
- Bulgaria: US$1.7bn
- Norway: US$1.7bn
- Finland: US$1.6bn
- Philippines: US$1.5bn
- Lithuania: US$1.5bn
- Kuwait: US$1.5bn
- Kazakhstan: US$1.5bn
- Chile: US$1.4bn
- Uzbekistan: US$1.4bn
- Croatia: US$1.4bn
- Serbia: US$1.3bn
- Malaysia: US$1.3bn
- India: US$1.2bn
- Argentina: US$1.2bn
- Iraq: US$967.3m
- New Zealand: US$894.2m
- Latvia: US$866.3m
- Panama: US$799.9m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$66.4bn | 13.8% | |
| 2 | US$46.7bn | 9.7% | |
| 3 | US$38.4bn | 8% | |
| 4 | US$37.2bn | 7.7% | |
| 5 | US$32.1bn | 6.7% | |
| 6 | US$27.7bn | 5.7% | |
| 7 | US$24.1bn | 5% | |
| 8 | US$24bn | 5% | |
| 9 | US$22.6bn | 4.7% | |
| 10 | US$18.2bn | 3.8% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$90.9bn | 18.8% | |
| 2 | US$47bn | 9.7% | |
| 3 | US$31bn | 6.4% | |
| 4 | US$23.2bn | 4.8% | |
| 5 | US$19.3bn | 4% | |
| 6 | US$18.3bn | 3.8% | |
| 7 | US$17.4bn | 3.6% | |
| 8 | US$17bn | 3.5% | |
| 9 | US$15.1bn | 3.1% | |
| 10 | US$14.1bn | 2.9% |
In the UK Global Tariff, heading 3004 covers 12 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature divides heading 3004 into 12 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule, heading 3004 covers 14 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States divides heading 3004 into 18 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
World trade in heading 3004 goods reached US$482.3bn in 2024, up 2.9% on 2023.
Germany was the largest exporter with 13.8% of the total, ahead of Switzerland.
The United States imported the most (US$90.9bn).
The United Kingdom ranked 10th among 208 exporters with US$18.2bn.
The United Kingdom imported US$17.4bn.
Legal notes
Notes
1. This chapter does not cover:
(a) foods or beverages (such as dietetic, diabetic or fortified foods, food supplements, tonic beverages and mineral waters), other than nutritional preparations for intravenous administration (Section IV);
(b) products, such as tablets, chewing gum or patches (transdermal systems), containing nicotine and intended to assist tobacco use cessation (heading 2404);
(c) plasters specially calcined or finely ground for use in dentistry (heading 2520);
(d) aqueous distillates or aqueous solutions of essential oils, suitable for medicinal uses (heading 3301);
(e) preparations of headings 3303 to 3307, even if they have therapeutic or prophylactic properties;
(f) soap or other products of heading 3401 containing added medicaments;
(g) preparations with a basis of plaster for use in dentistry (heading 3407);
(h) blood albumin not prepared for therapeutic or prophylactic uses (heading 3502); or
(ij) diagnostic reagents of heading 3822.
2. For the purposes of heading 3002, the expression ‘immunological products’ applies to peptides and proteins (other than goods of heading 2937) which are directly involved in the regulation of immunological processes, such as monoclonal antibodies (MAB), antibody fragments, antibody conjugates and antibody fragment conjugates, interleukins, interferons (IFN), chemokines and certain tumour-necrosis factors (TNF), growth factors (GF), hematopoietins and colony-stimulating factors (CSF).
3. For the purposes of headings 3003 and 3004 and of note 4(d) to this chapter, the following are to be treated:
(a) as unmixed products:
(1) unmixed products dissolved in water;
(2) all goods of Chapter 28 or 29; and
(3) simple vegetable extracts of heading 1302, merely standardised or dissolved in any solvent;
(b) as products which have been mixed:
(1) colloidal solutions and suspensions (other than colloidal sulphur);
(2) vegetable extracts obtained by the treatment of mixtures of vegetable materials; and
(3) salts and concentrates obtained by evaporating natural mineral waters.
4. Heading 3006 applies only to the following, which are to be classified in that heading and in no other heading of the nomenclature:
(a) sterile surgical catgut, similar sterile suture materials (including sterile absorbable surgical or dental yarns) and sterile tissue adhesives for surgical wound closure;
(b) sterile laminaria and sterile laminaria tents;
(c) sterile absorbable surgical or dental haemostatics; sterile surgical or dental adhesion barriers, whether or not absorbable;
(d) opacifying preparations for X-ray examinations and diagnostic reagents designed to be administered to the patient, being unmixed products put up in measured doses or products consisting of two or more ingredients which have been mixed together for such uses;
(e) placebos and blinded (or double-blinded) clinical trial kits for use in recognised clinical trials, put up in measured doses, even if they might contain active medicaments;
(f) dental cements and other dental fillings; bone reconstruction cements;
(g) first-aid boxes and kits;
(h) chemical contraceptive preparations based on hormones, on other products of heading 2937 or on spermicides;
(ij) gel preparations designed to be used in human or veterinary medicine as a lubricant for parts of the body for surgical operations or physical examinations or as a coupling agent between the body and medical instruments;
(k) waste pharmaceuticals, that is, pharmaceutical products which are unfit for their original intended purpose due to, for example, expiry of shelf life; and
(l) appliances identifiable for ostomy use, that is, colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy pouches cut to shape and their adhesive wafers or faceplates.
Subheading notes
1. For the purposes of subheadings 300213 and 300214, the following are to be treated:
(a) as unmixed products, pure products, whether or not containing impurities;
(b) as products which have been mixed:
(1) the products mentioned in (a) above dissolved in water or in other solvents;
(2) the products mentioned in (a) and (b) (1) above with an added stabiliser necessary for their preservation or transport; and
(3) The products mentioned in (a), (b) (1) and (b) (2) above with any other additive.
2. Subheadings 300360 and 300460 cover medicaments containing artemisinin (INN) for oral ingestion combined with other pharmaceutical active ingredients, or containing any of the following active principles, whether or not combined with other pharmaceutical active ingredients : amodiaquine (INN); artelinic acid or its salts; artenimol (INN); artemotil (INN); artemether (INN); artesunate (INN); chloroquine (INN); dihydroartemisinin (INN); lumefantrine (INN); mefloquine (INN); piperaquine (INN); pyrimethamine (INN) or sulfadoxine (INN).
Additional note
1. Heading 3004 includes herbal medicinal preparations and preparations based on the following active substances: vitamins, minerals, essential amino-acids or fatty acids, in packings for retail sale. These preparations are classified in heading 3004 if they bear on the label, packaging or on the accompanying user directions the following statements of:
(a) the specific diseases, ailments or their symptoms for which the product is to be used;
(b) the concentration of active substance or substances contained therein;
(c) dosage; and
(d) mode of application.
This heading includes homeopathic medicinal preparations when they meet the conditions of (a), (c) and (d) mentioned above.
In the case of preparations based on vitamins, minerals, essential amino-acids or fatty acids, the level of one of these substances per recommended daily dose indicated on the label must be significantly higher than the recommended daily allowance to maintain general health or well-being.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for medicaments (excluding goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses (including those in the form of transdermal administration systems) or in forms or packings for retail sale?
Medicaments (excluding goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses (including those in the form of transdermal administration systems) or in forms or packings for retail sale fall under HS heading 3004, part of chapter 30, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on medicaments (excluding goods of heading 3002… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3004 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on medicaments (excluding goods of heading 3002… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3004 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most medicaments (excluding goods of heading 3002…?
Germany, with US$66.4bn in 2024 (13.8% of world exports).