Subheading · Chapter 32 · Heading 3204

3204.15: Vat dyes (including those usable in that state as pigments) and preparations based thereon

3204.15 is a six-digit subheading of heading 3204, synthetic organic colouring matter, chapter 32.

Importing into Country of origin

What you pay

Importing into UK

Customs duty 6% standard rate · across 4 national lines depends on the country of origin

Additional duties and charges 4 additional measures Import requirements: 3

VAT 20.00 % import VAT

Duty calculatorCalculate duty and taxes →

Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff

UK lines →

3204 15 00 00 Vat dyes (including those usable in that state as pigments) and preparations based thereon 6%
3204 15 00 15 Colourant c.i. vat blue 1 (cas rn 482-89-3) and preparations based thereon with a colourant c.i. vat blue 1 content of 94% or more by weight 6%
3204 15 00 25 Mixture in a 3:2 ratio of colourants c.i. vat blue 1 potassium salt (cas rn 835912-68-0) and c.i. vat blue 1 sodium salt (cas rn 894-86-0) and preparations based thereon with a combined content of colourants c.i. vat blue 1 salts of 40% or more by weight 6%
3204 15 00 70 Colourant c.i. vat red 1 (cas rn 2379-74-0) 6%
3204 15 00 90 Other 6%

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

Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
Applies to goods from
Belarus, Russia

Legal act
2023 No. 1203
Documents
- 9062
Duty suspensionAutonomous tariff suspension Free
Applies to goods from
all countries

In force
until 31 December 2028

Legal act
2020 No. 1435
Documents
- 9Y12
Tariff lines
on 3 of 4 lines
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 3

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 - 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)	—	6%
DCTS Comprehensive	Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin and 38 more Afghanistan, 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")	Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia and 23 more Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden	Free
DCTS Enhanced	Algeria, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Congo - Brazzaville and 13 more Algeria, 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 more Antigua & 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 more Anguilla, 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
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
DCTS Standard	Indonesia	2.2%

UK: imports by month

last 12 months£2.3m-29.7% · previous 12 months

Average import price£43.22 per kg

Data up to August 2026 (provisional) · Monthly data: Eurostat Comext (CC BY 4.0), HMRC (OGL v3.0)

Main suppliers, last 12 months

Country	Value	Share	Change
India	£1.6m	68.6%	-29.8%
China	£522k	22.3%	-11.2%
Germany	£55k	2.3%	-74.4%
Portugal	£45k	1.9%	-60.8%
France	£37k	1.6%	+60.2%
Türkiye	£37k	1.6%	+25.8%
Netherlands	£23k	1%	-33%
Indonesia	£8k	0.4%	—

Same subheading in other tariffs

EU 6.5% Third-country duty 1 tariff line

Türkiye 6.5% Third-country duty 1 tariff line

USA Free – 6.5% General (MFN) 7 tariff lines · average 5.6%

World trade in 2024

3204.15 · US$488.7m

Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$190.3kUS$190.3k+US$2.3m+US$12.9m+> US$57.1m

Exports: 68

China: US$261.3m
India: US$57.1m
Singapore: US$45.8m
Germany: US$24m
Switzerland: US$21.1m
Pakistan: US$16.9m
Indonesia: US$12.9m
Japan: US$9.3m
Brazil: US$4.5m
United States: US$4.2m
Mexico: US$3.4m
Austria: US$3.1m
Belgium: US$2.9m
United Kingdom: US$2.8m
Türkiye: US$2.3m
Netherlands: US$2.3m
Hong Kong SAR China: US$2.2m
Italy: US$1.9m
France: US$1.8m
Portugal: US$1.7m
Spain: US$1.1m
Czechia: US$688.6k
Taiwan: US$670.9k
Uzbekistan: US$664k
United Arab Emirates: US$653.1k
Honduras: US$613.5k
Canada: US$582.5k
Thailand: US$431k
South Korea: US$413.3k
Greece: US$370.9k
Malaysia: US$261k
Colombia: US$190.3k
Saudi Arabia: US$52.1k
Vietnam: US$49.6k
Israel: US$47.7k
Costa Rica: US$47.2k
Egypt: US$39.6k
South Africa: US$32.2k
Kuwait: US$31.5k
Kenya: US$28.9k
Poland: US$21.1k
Slovenia: US$19.5k
Peru: US$16.9k
Slovakia: US$15.1k
Australia: US$13.9k
Sweden: US$13.1k
Luxembourg: US$11.9k
Lithuania: US$11.2k
Dominican Republic: US$9.4k
Denmark: US$7.6k
Guatemala: US$6k
Russia: US$5.4k
Serbia: US$5.1k
Ghana: US$4.8k
Argentina: US$4.5k
Hungary: US$4k
Chile: US$2.2k
Ukraine: US$2.2k
Romania: US$1.6k
Latvia: US$1.1k

Top exporters

Rank	Country	Value	Share
1	China	US$261.3m	53.5%
2	India	US$57.1m	11.7%
3	Singapore	US$45.8m	9.4%
4	Germany	US$24m	4.9%
5	Switzerland	US$21.1m	4.3%
6	Pakistan	US$16.9m	3.5%
7	Indonesia	US$12.9m	2.6%
8	Japan	US$9.3m	1.9%
9	Brazil	US$4.5m	0.9%
10	United States	US$4.2m	0.9%

Top importers

Rank	Country	Value	Share
1	Pakistan	US$64.2m	13.1%
2	India	US$59.9m	12.3%
3	Türkiye	US$37.9m	7.8%
4	Bangladesh	US$37.1m	7.6%
5	Singapore	US$36.8m	7.5%
6	Brazil	US$31.1m	6.4%
7	Vietnam	US$19.7m	4%
8	Mexico	US$15.9m	3.3%
9	China	US$14m	2.9%
10	Indonesia	US$13m	2.7%

Binding rulings for similar goods 1

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.

H200498 U.S. CBP 11 February 2021 · 3204.15.40

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

In the UK Global Tariff, subheading 3204.15 covers 4 tariff lines and the duty is 6%.

The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 3204.15; the duty is 6.5%.

Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard 6%; 173 of them pay no duty at all, for example under DCTS Comprehensive or European Union.

In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.

In the 12 months to August 2026, the UK imported these goods worth £2.3m (down 30% on the year before), at an average of £43.22 per kg; India supplied 69%, followed by China.

World trade in these goods reached US$488.7m in 2024, down 0.1% on 2023.

China was the largest exporter with 53.5% of the total, ahead of India.

Questions and answers

What is the HS code for vat dyes (including those usable in that state as pigments) and preparations based thereon?

Vat dyes (including those usable in that state as pigments) and preparations based thereon fall under HS subheading 3204.15, part of heading 3204, in section VI of the Harmonized System.

What is the import duty on vat dyes (including those usable in that state as… in the UK?

Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3204.15 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 6%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.

What is the import duty on vat dyes (including those usable in that state as… in the EU?

Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3204.15 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 6.5%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.

Which country exports the most vat dyes (including those usable in that state as…?

China, with US$261.3m in 2024 (53.5% of world exports).

Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?

173 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 6% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.

Is there anti-dumping duty on these goods?

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 these goods from?

In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were India (69%), China (22%) and Germany (2%), out of total imports of £2.3m.