Heading · Chapter 32
3206: Other colouring matter; preparations as specified in note 3 to this chapter, other than those of heading 3203, 3204 or 3205; inorganic products of a kind used as luminophores, whether or not chemically defined
7 subheadings make up heading 3206 in chapter 32 (tanning or dyeing extracts).
Duty rates compared
UK Free – 6% Third-country duty 24 tariff lines · average 5.7% 
EU 4.9% – 6.5% Third-country duty 8 tariff lines · average 6.1% 
Türkiye 4.9% – 6.5% Third-country duty 13 tariff lines · average 6.3% 
USA Free – 6.5% General (MFN) 12 tariff lines · average 3.9% 
Canada Free – 6% Third-country duty 12 tariff lines · average 1% 
Mexico Free – 10% Third-country duty 19 tariff lines · average 5.4% 
Brazil Free – 10.8% Third-country duty 16 tariff lines · average 6.6% 
Argentina Free – 10.8% Third-country duty 34 tariff lines · average 7.5% 
Peru Free – 6% Third-country duty 10 tariff lines · average 0.6% 
New Zealand Free Third-country duty 9 tariff lines 
Japan 2.5% – 4.4% Third-country duty 10 tariff lines · average 3% 
Taiwan 2% – 5% Third-country duty 18 tariff lines · average 4.1% 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 10 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free Third-country duty 7 tariff lines 
Norway Free Third-country duty 7 tariff lines 
North Macedonia Free Third-country duty 8 tariff lines 
Nigeria 5% – 10% Third-country duty 9 tariff lines · average 5.6% Subheadings 7
- 3206.11Containing 80 % or more by weight of titanium dioxide calculated on the dry matterTitanium dioxide pigments (80%+ TiO2)
- 3206.19Pigments and preparations based on titanium dioxide: otherOther titanium dioxide pigments (<80%)
- 3206.20Pigments and preparations based on chromium compounds
- 3206.41Ultramarine and preparations based thereon
- 3206.42Lithopone and other pigments and preparations based on zinc sulphide
- 3206.49Other colouring matter and other preparations: otherOther colouring matter and preparations
- 3206.50Inorganic products of a kind used as luminophores
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$790kUS$790k+US$41m+US$185m+> US$686m
Exports: 147
- China: US$5bn
- United States: US$2bn
- Germany: US$2bn
- Belgium: US$904m
- United Kingdom: US$686m
- Mexico: US$640m
- Australia: US$545m
- Canada: US$450m
- Japan: US$441m
- France: US$406m
- Netherlands: US$397m
- Spain: US$347m
- India: US$302m
- Saudi Arabia: US$222m
- Slovenia: US$185m
- Italy: US$183m
- South Korea: US$171m
- Malaysia: US$146m
- Czechia: US$144m
- Luxembourg: US$138m
- Poland: US$131m
- Norway: US$123m
- Sweden: US$108m
- Thailand: US$93m
- Türkiye: US$88m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$84m
- Taiwan: US$71m
- Vietnam: US$69m
- Austria: US$55m
- Denmark: US$54m
- Egypt: US$48m
- United Arab Emirates: US$46m
- Portugal: US$44m
- Singapore: US$44m
- Colombia: US$43m
- Brazil: US$41m
- Israel: US$35m
- Switzerland: US$35m
- Indonesia: US$30m
- Hungary: US$27m
- Finland: US$27m
- Romania: US$23m
- South Africa: US$22m
- Greece: US$20m
- Chile: US$18m
- Russia: US$17m
- Croatia: US$15m
- Uruguay: US$14m
- Ireland: US$9m
- Slovakia: US$9m
- Argentina: US$8m
- Uzbekistan: US$7m
- Guatemala: US$6m
- Ukraine: US$5m
- Lithuania: US$4m
- Bulgaria: US$4m
- Peru: US$4m
- Kazakhstan: US$3m
- Lebanon: US$3m
- Latvia: US$3m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$6mUS$6m+US$49m+US$228m+> US$555m
Imports: 208
- India: US$1bn
- United States: US$1bn
- Germany: US$902m
- Belgium: US$770m
- Italy: US$635m
- China: US$616m
- France: US$555m
- Türkiye: US$552m
- Brazil: US$503m
- Mexico: US$497m
- South Korea: US$460m
- Vietnam: US$393m
- Spain: US$392m
- Poland: US$373m
- Thailand: US$366m
- Canada: US$361m
- Indonesia: US$354m
- United Arab Emirates: US$299m
- Netherlands: US$282m
- Russia: US$242m
- United Kingdom: US$228m
- Japan: US$220m
- Malaysia: US$216m
- Taiwan: US$199m
- Egypt: US$185m
- Israel: US$168m
- Switzerland: US$155m
- Sweden: US$154m
- Philippines: US$140m
- Saudi Arabia: US$135m
- Austria: US$134m
- Luxembourg: US$118m
- Colombia: US$116m
- Argentina: US$113m
- Singapore: US$96m
- Portugal: US$96m
- South Africa: US$96m
- Australia: US$94m
- Greece: US$86m
- Czechia: US$84m
- Denmark: US$81m
- Pakistan: US$81m
- Morocco: US$79m
- Algeria: US$73m
- Romania: US$72m
- Hungary: US$68m
- Chile: US$66m
- Finland: US$64m
- Bangladesh: US$64m
- Peru: US$59m
- Dominican Republic: US$56m
- Nigeria: US$49m
- Ukraine: US$46m
- Guatemala: US$44m
- Kenya: US$41m
- Iraq: US$39m
- Ecuador: US$37m
- Tunisia: US$37m
- Sri Lanka: US$36m
- Ireland: US$36m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | US$5bn | 29.5% |
| 2 | United States | US$2bn | 10.5% |
| 3 |  Germany | US$2bn | 10.4% |
| 4 |  Belgium | US$904m | 5.7% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | US$686m | 4.4% |
| 6 | Mexico | US$640m | 4.1% |
| 7 |  Australia | US$545m | 3.5% |
| 8 | Canada | US$450m | 2.9% |
| 9 | Japan | US$441m | 2.8% |
| 10 |  France | US$406m | 2.6% |
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.
- Tariff change · Applies from:
CELEX 32026R1395 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
In the UK Global Tariff, heading 3206 covers 24 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 6%. 1 of them is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature divides heading 3206 into 8 tariff lines; the duty is between 4.9% and 6.5% (average 6.1%).
In the Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule, heading 3206 covers 13 tariff lines and the duty is between 4.9% and 6.5%.
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States divides heading 3206 into 12 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 6.5% (average 3.9%). 1 of them is duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff of Canada, heading 3206 covers 12 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 6%. 10 of them are duty-free.
The Mexican Tariff (TIGIE) divides heading 3206 into 19 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 10% (average 5.4%). 6 of them are duty-free.
In the Brazilian Tariff (NCM/TEC), heading 3206 covers 16 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 10.8%. 6 of them are duty-free.
The Argentine Tariff (NCM-SIM) divides heading 3206 into 34 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 10.8% (average 7.5%). 10 of them are duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff of Peru, heading 3206 covers 10 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 6%. 9 of them are duty-free.
The Working Tariff Document of New Zealand divides heading 3206 into 9 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff Schedules of Japan, heading 3206 covers 10 tariff lines and the duty is between 2.5% and 4.4%.
The Customs Import Tariff of Taiwan divides heading 3206 into 18 tariff lines; the duty is between 2% and 5% (average 4.1%).
In the GCC Common Customs Tariff, heading 3206 covers 10 tariff lines and the duty is 5%.
The Swiss Customs Tariff (Tares) divides heading 3206 into 7 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff of Norway, heading 3206 covers 7 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of North Macedonia divides heading 3206 into 8 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (Nigeria), heading 3206 covers 9 tariff lines and the duty is between 5% and 10%.
World trade in heading 3206 goods reached US$16bn in 2024, up 6% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 29.5% of the total, ahead of the United States.
India imported the most (US$1bn).
The United Kingdom ranked 5th among 147 exporters with US$686m.
The United Kingdom imported US$228m.
Legal notes
Notes
1. This chapter does not cover:
(a) separate chemically defined elements or compounds (except those of heading 3203 or 3204, inorganic products of a kind used as luminophores (heading 3206), glass obtained from fused quartz or other fused silica in the forms provided for in heading 3207, and also dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale of heading 3212);
(b) tannates or other tannin derivatives of products of headings 2936 to 2939, 2941 or 3501 to 3504; or
(c) mastics of asphalt or other bituminous mastics (heading 2715).
2. Heading 3204 includes mixtures of stabilised diazonium salts and couplers for the production of azo dyes.
3. Headings 3203, 3204, 3205 and 3206 apply also to preparations based on colouring matter (including, in the case of heading 3206, colouring pigments of heading 2530 or Chapter 28, metal flakes and metal powders), of a kind used for colouring any material or used as ingredients in the manufacture of colouring preparations. The headings do not apply, however, to pigments dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints, including enamels (heading 3212), or to other preparations of headings 3207, 3208, 3209, 3210, 3212, 3213 or 3215.
4. Heading 3208 includes solutions (other than collodions) consisting of any of the products specified in headings 3901 to 3913 in volatile organic solvents when the weight of the solvent exceeds 50 % of the weight of the solution.
5. The expression ‘colouring matter’ in this chapter does not include products of a kind used as extenders in oil paints, whether or not they are also suitable for colouring distempers.
6. The expression ‘stamping foils’ in heading 3212 applies only to thin sheets of a kind used for printing, for example, book covers or hat bands, and consisting of:
(a) metallic powder (including powder of precious metal) or pigment, agglomerated with glue, gelatin or other binder; or
(b) metal (including precious metal) or pigment, deposited on a supporting sheet of any material.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for other colouring matter; preparations as specified in note 3 to this chapter, other than those of heading 3203, 3204 or 3205; inorganic products of a kind used as luminophores, whether or not chemically defined?
Other colouring matter; preparations as specified in note 3 to this chapter, other than those of heading 3203, 3204 or 3205; inorganic products of a kind used as luminophores, whether or not chemically defined fall under HS heading 3206, part of chapter 32, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on other colouring matter in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3206 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 6%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on other colouring matter in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3206 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 4.9% to 6.5%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most other colouring matter?
China, with US$5bn in 2024 (29.5% of world exports).