Subheading · Chapter 32 · Heading 3203
3203.00: Colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin (including dyeing extracts but excluding animal black), whether or not chemically defined; preparations as specified in note 3 to this chapter based on colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin
Natural colouring matter
3203.00 is the HS subheading for natural colouring matter, under heading 3203 in chapter 32.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 3203 00 10 00 Colouring matter of vegetable origin and preparations based thereon Free
- 3203 00 90 00 Colouring matter of animal origin and preparations based thereon Free
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
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 598
- Documents
- 9014
- Duty suspensionSuspension - goods for certain categories of ships, boats and other vessels and for drilling or production platforms Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1431
- Documents
- C990 End use authorisation ships and platforms (Column 8c, Annex A of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446)
- Duty suspensionAirworthiness tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2018/1249
- Documents
- C119 Authorised Release Certificate — EASA Form 1 (Appendix I to Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 748/2012), or equivalent certificate
Import requirements 4
- Import controlVeterinary control
- Applies to goods from
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica and 232 more
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/782
- Documents
- 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).
- 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
- Y930 The declared goods are not concerned by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/632
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlImport control - CITES
- Import controlImport control - Waste
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/590
- 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
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | Free |
| DCTS Comprehensive | Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 moreAfghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo - Kinshasa, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia | Free |
| European Union (including code " EU") | Free | |
| DCTS Enhanced | Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 moreAlgeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville, Cook Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Niue, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu | Free |
| CARIFORUM | Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize and 10 moreAntigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago | Free |
| OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) | Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands and 7 moreAnguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands | Free |
| Central America | Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama | Free |
| SADC EPA | Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia | Free |
| Eastern and Southern Africa States | Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe | Free |
| CPTPP | Brunei, Malaysia | Free |
| UK–Andorra agreement | Andorra | Free |
| UK–Albania agreement | Albania | Free |
| UK–Australia agreement | Australia | Free |
| UK–Canada agreement | Canada | Free |
| UK–Switzerland agreement | Switzerland | Free |
| UK–Côte d’Ivoire agreement | Côte d’Ivoire | Free |
| UK–Chile agreement | Chile | Free |
| UK–Cameroon agreement | Cameroon | Free |
| UK–Colombia agreement | Colombia | Free |
| UK–Ceuta & Melilla agreement | Ceuta & Melilla | Free |
| UK–Ecuador agreement | Ecuador | Free |
| UK–Egypt agreement | Egypt | Free |
| UK–Fiji agreement | Fiji | Free |
| UK–Faroe Islands agreement | Faroe Islands | Free |
| UK–Georgia agreement | Georgia | Free |
| UK–Ghana agreement | Ghana | Free |
| DCTS Standard | Indonesia | Free |
| UK–Israel agreement | Israel | Free |
| UK–India agreement | India | Free |
| UK–Iceland agreement | Iceland | Free |
| UK–Jordan agreement | Jordan | Free |
| UK–Japan agreement | Japan | Free |
| UK–Kenya agreement | Kenya | Free |
| UK–South Korea agreement | South Korea | Free |
| UK–Lebanon agreement | Lebanon | Free |
| UK–Liechtenstein agreement | Liechtenstein | Free |
| UK–Morocco agreement | Morocco | Free |
| UK–Moldova agreement | Moldova | Free |
| UK–North Macedonia agreement | North Macedonia | Free |
| UK–Mexico agreement | Mexico | Free |
| UK–Norway agreement | Norway | Free |
| UK–New Zealand agreement | New Zealand | Free |
| UK–Peru agreement | Peru | Free |
| UK–Papua New Guinea agreement | Papua New Guinea | Free |
| UK–Palestinian Territories agreement | Palestinian Territories | Free |
| UK–Serbia agreement | Serbia | Free |
| UK–Solomon Islands agreement | Solomon Islands | Free |
| UK–Singapore agreement | Singapore | Free |
| UK–San Marino agreement | San Marino | Free |
| UK–Tunisia agreement | Tunisia | Free |
| UK–Türkiye agreement | Türkiye | Free |
| UK–Ukraine agreement | Ukraine | Free |
| UK–Vietnam agreement | Vietnam | Free |
| UK–Samoa agreement | Samoa | Free |
| UK–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 Netherlands | £12.5m | 21.4% | +19.5% |
 Ireland | £7.6m | 13% | -13.1% |
 Germany | £7.5m | 12.8% | +0.7% |
 China | £6.6m | 11.3% | -14.8% |
 Italy | £5m | 8.5% | -2.4% |
 United States | £3.4m | 5.9% | +123% |
 India | £3.3m | 5.7% | +25.6% |
 Spain | £3.3m | 5.7% | +16.7% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$256kUS$256k+US$4m+US$39m+> US$145m
Exports: 134
- China: US$261m
- Netherlands: US$178m
- United States: US$153m
- Germany: US$145m
- Peru: US$130m
- Spain: US$121m
- Denmark: US$107m
- India: US$100m
- Italy: US$86m
- France: US$80m
- United Kingdom: US$48m
- Ireland: US$43m
- Mexico: US$39m
- Israel: US$35m
- Switzerland: US$32m
- New Zealand: US$32m
- Türkiye: US$19m
- Austria: US$19m
- Japan: US$19m
- Poland: US$16m
- Australia: US$11m
- Brazil: US$10m
- Canada: US$8m
- Singapore: US$8m
- Taiwan: US$7m
- Belgium: US$7m
- Kenya: US$5m
- Slovenia: US$5m
- Malaysia: US$4m
- South Korea: US$4m
- Iceland: US$4m
- Thailand: US$4m
- Sweden: US$2m
- Czechia: US$2m
- Ecuador: US$2m
- Hungary: US$2m
- Lithuania: US$2m
- Russia: US$2m
- Indonesia: US$2m
- Côte d’Ivoire: US$2m
- Guatemala: US$1m
- Latvia: US$1m
- Bulgaria: US$1m
- Myanmar (Burma): US$980k
- Romania: US$975k
- South Africa: US$919k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$908k
- Portugal: US$907k
- Chile: US$792k
- Philippines: US$713k
- Argentina: US$688k
- Luxembourg: US$620k
- Nepal: US$571k
- Vietnam: US$545k
- Kazakhstan: US$509k
- Egypt: US$429k
- Colombia: US$416k
- Costa Rica: US$360k
- Dominican Republic: US$347k
- Senegal: US$322k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$558kUS$558k+US$6m+US$24m+> US$89m
Imports: 194
- United States: US$206m
- Germany: US$133m
- Netherlands: US$116m
- Japan: US$101m
- France: US$93m
- Spain: US$89m
- Italy: US$77m
- United Kingdom: US$73m
- South Korea: US$65m
- Denmark: US$54m
- China: US$45m
- Switzerland: US$44m
- Canada: US$42m
- Poland: US$34m
- Ireland: US$33m
- Mexico: US$33m
- Belgium: US$30m
- Türkiye: US$26m
- Colombia: US$24m
- Australia: US$22m
- Brazil: US$19m
- Thailand: US$19m
- Norway: US$19m
- Peru: US$19m
- Austria: US$19m
- Russia: US$18m
- Vietnam: US$17m
- Egypt: US$16m
- Czechia: US$13m
- India: US$13m
- Hungary: US$11m
- Romania: US$11m
- Ukraine: US$10m
- Malaysia: US$10m
- Indonesia: US$10m
- South Africa: US$9m
- Taiwan: US$9m
- Israel: US$9m
- United Arab Emirates: US$9m
- Argentina: US$8m
- Guatemala: US$8m
- Iran: US$8m
- Saudi Arabia: US$8m
- Ecuador: US$7m
- Sweden: US$7m
- Slovenia: US$6m
- Chile: US$6m
- Portugal: US$6m
- Lithuania: US$5m
- New Zealand: US$5m
- Singapore: US$5m
- Greece: US$4m
- Philippines: US$4m
- Finland: US$4m
- Ghana: US$4m
- Dominican Republic: US$4m
- Slovakia: US$3m
- El Salvador: US$3m
- Bulgaria: US$3m
- Serbia: US$3m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$261m | 14.7% |
| 2 | Netherlands | US$178m | 10% |
| 3 | United States | US$153m | 8.6% |
| 4 | Germany | US$145m | 8.2% |
| 5 |  Peru | US$130m | 7.4% |
| 6 | Spain | US$121m | 6.8% |
| 7 |  Denmark | US$107m | 6% |
| 8 | India | US$100m | 5.7% |
| 9 | Italy | US$86m | 4.9% |
| 10 |  France | US$80m | 4.5% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$206m | 11.6% |
| 2 | Germany | US$133m | 7.5% |
| 3 | Netherlands | US$116m | 6.5% |
| 4 |  Japan | US$101m | 5.7% |
| 5 | France | US$93m | 5.2% |
| 6 | Spain | US$89m | 5% |
| 7 | Italy | US$77m | 4.3% |
| 8 | United Kingdom | US$73m | 4.1% |
| 9 |  South Korea | US$65m | 3.7% |
| 10 | Denmark | US$54m | 3% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 5
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.
- N335288 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of Butterfly Pea Flower Extract from China
- N335287 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of Safflower Coloring Extract from China
- N335286 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of Turmeric Extract Coloring Matter from Germany
- N281012 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of “Tea Stain Dye” from China
- 600012930 HMRC
Paprika oleoresin. This is used as a colouring ingredient in food products. Made from dried paprika pods, sunflower oil and a solvent. The solvent used to extract the paprika is hexane. The extract is then mixed with sunflower oil to make an oily liquid which is added to food material as required…
Recent rule changes mentioning this code
Acts whose text cites this code or its heading. Check the act itself: a code can be cited for reasons other than a change of its duty.
- Anti-dumping
Oleoresin Paprika From India: Antidumping Duty Order and Countervailing Duty Order
FR Doc. 2026-20690 · 91 FR 64344 · Source: federalregister.gov
- Anti-dumping
FR Doc. 2026-17047 · 91 FR 54302 · Source: federalregister.gov
- Countervailing duty
FR Doc. 2026-17048 · 91 FR 54300 · Source: federalregister.gov
- Import and export controls
FR Doc. 2026-14542 · 91 FR 45516 · Source: federalregister.gov
-
Tariff change · Applies from: CELEX 32026R1395 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
- Tariff change
FR Doc. 2026-11158 · 91 FR 33854 · Source: federalregister.gov
- Sanctions · Applies from:
The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
S.I. 2026/543 · Source: legislation.gov.uk
- Anti-dumping
FR Doc. 2026-07611 · 91 FR 21016 · Source: federalregister.gov
The UK Global Tariff divides subheading 3203.00 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, subheading 3203.00 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 2.5%. 1 of them is duty-free.
174 countries pay no duty in the UK thanks to trade agreements and preference schemes such as DCTS Comprehensive and European Union, against a standard rate of Free.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
Imports of natural colouring matter into the UK came to £58.5m between September 2025 and August 2026 (up 0% on the year before); Netherlands supplied 21%, followed by Ireland.
In 2024, countries exported natural colouring matter worth US$2bn (+1.6% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$261m), followed by the Netherlands.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin (including dyeing extracts but excluding animal black), whether or not chemically defined; preparations as specified in note 3 to this chapter based on colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin?
Colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin (including dyeing extracts but excluding animal black), whether or not chemically defined; preparations as specified in note 3 to this chapter based on colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin fall under HS subheading 3203.00, part of heading 3203, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3203.00 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 colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3203.00 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 2.5%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin?
China, with US$261m in 2024 (14.7% of world exports).
Which countries can export natural colouring matter to the UK duty-free?
174 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, DCTS Enhanced. The goods must meet the agreement’s rules of origin and the importer needs proof of origin; otherwise the standard rate of Free applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on natural colouring matter?
The UK charges additional duty of 35% on goods from Belarus and Russia. Lower rates apply to the named exporters listed in the measure.
Where does the UK import natural colouring matter from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Netherlands (21%), Ireland (13%) and Germany (13%), out of total imports of £58.5m.