Subheading · Chapter 32 · Heading 3208
3208.20: Based on acrylic or vinyl polymers
Acrylic or vinyl paints (solvent-based)
3208.20 is the HS subheading for acrylic or vinyl paints (solvent-based), under heading 3208 in chapter 32.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 3208 20 00 00 Based on acrylic or vinyl polymers
- 3208 20 10 00 Solutions as defined in note 4 to this chapter Free
- 3208 20 10 10 Copolymer of n-vinylcaprolactam, n-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, in the form of a solution in ethanol containing by weight 34% or more but not more than 40% of copolymer Free
- 3208 20 10 20 Immersion topcoat solution containing by weight 0.5% or more but not more than 15% of acrylate-methacrylate-alkenesulphonate copolymers with fluorinated side chains, in a solution of n-butanol and/or 4-methyl-2-pentanol and/or diisoamylether Free
- 3208 20 10 50 Copolymer of vinylcaprolactam and vinylpyrrolidone (cas rn 51987-20-3) in the form of a solution in 2-butoxyethanol (cas rn 111-76-2) containing by weight 45% or more but not more than 58% of copolymer Free
- 3208 20 10 90 Other Free
- 3208 20 90 00 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 3
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2023 No. 1203
- Documents
- 9062
- 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 5
- Prohibition or restrictionImport prohibition
- Applies to goods from
- North Korea
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/411
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia, Syria, Ukraine
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 748, S.I. 2019/792, S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9024
- 9032
- 9025
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/583
- Documents
- L100 Import licence " controlled substances" (ozone), issued by the Commission
- Y902
- 9Y06
- Import controlImport control on restricted goods and technologies
- Applies to goods from
- Iran, Libya, Russia
- Legal act
- S.I. 2019/461, 2020 No. 1665, S.I. 2019/855
- 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 – 6% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Germany | £28.3m | 24.9% | -18% |
 Netherlands | £12.8m | 11.3% | +18.3% |
 Spain | £10.9m | 9.6% | +3.7% |
 Belgium | £9.6m | 8.4% | +16.5% |
 France | £9.1m | 8% | +17.4% |
 Italy | £8.9m | 7.8% | +5.1% |
 Switzerland | £6.8m | 6% | +17.6% |
 Poland | £4.7m | 4.1% | +3.9% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$554kUS$554k+US$11m+US$82m+> US$248m
Exports: 143
- Germany: US$960m
- United States: US$458m
- Japan: US$448m
- China: US$285m
- Italy: US$248m
- United Kingdom: US$242m
- Netherlands: US$229m
- Belgium: US$204m
- Spain: US$186m
- France: US$185m
- Poland: US$129m
- South Korea: US$111m
- Sweden: US$83m
- Canada: US$82m
- Austria: US$81m
- Switzerland: US$66m
- Slovenia: US$59m
- Türkiye: US$58m
- Taiwan: US$52m
- Egypt: US$51m
- Malaysia: US$49m
- Brazil: US$46m
- Mexico: US$45m
- United Arab Emirates: US$37m
- Singapore: US$35m
- Portugal: US$26m
- Thailand: US$24m
- Czechia: US$23m
- India: US$20m
- Greece: US$19m
- Costa Rica: US$15m
- South Africa: US$14m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$12m
- Lebanon: US$11m
- Russia: US$11m
- Indonesia: US$11m
- Lithuania: US$11m
- Hungary: US$10m
- Kazakhstan: US$10m
- Saudi Arabia: US$9m
- Slovakia: US$9m
- Finland: US$9m
- Colombia: US$8m
- Jordan: US$8m
- Australia: US$7m
- Estonia: US$7m
- Dominican Republic: US$6m
- Bulgaria: US$6m
- Latvia: US$6m
- Serbia: US$5m
- Denmark: US$5m
- Romania: US$5m
- Vietnam: US$5m
- New Zealand: US$5m
- Argentina: US$4m
- Tunisia: US$4m
- Croatia: US$3m
- Sri Lanka: US$3m
- Guatemala: US$2m
- Belarus: US$2m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$3mUS$3m+US$17m+US$56m+> US$185m
Imports: 221
- China: US$345m
- United States: US$291m
- Belgium: US$221m
- Canada: US$215m
- Germany: US$204m
- Poland: US$203m
- Mexico: US$185m
- France: US$171m
- South Korea: US$169m
- Netherlands: US$145m
- United Kingdom: US$142m
- Italy: US$138m
- Spain: US$119m
- Türkiye: US$115m
- Portugal: US$96m
- Czechia: US$90m
- Saudi Arabia: US$79m
- India: US$71m
- Austria: US$66m
- Romania: US$63m
- Vietnam: US$59m
- Thailand: US$56m
- Brazil: US$53m
- Indonesia: US$52m
- Russia: US$48m
- Australia: US$48m
- Slovakia: US$43m
- Switzerland: US$41m
- United Arab Emirates: US$41m
- Hungary: US$41m
- Japan: US$40m
- Colombia: US$39m
- Lithuania: US$36m
- Belarus: US$36m
- Croatia: US$36m
- Malaysia: US$35m
- South Africa: US$34m
- Sweden: US$33m
- Kazakhstan: US$32m
- Morocco: US$31m
- Ukraine: US$29m
- Greece: US$26m
- Argentina: US$26m
- Denmark: US$25m
- Singapore: US$24m
- Taiwan: US$24m
- Ireland: US$23m
- Bulgaria: US$22m
- Norway: US$22m
- Peru: US$20m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$19m
- Estonia: US$19m
- Chile: US$19m
- Serbia: US$18m
- Israel: US$17m
- Slovenia: US$16m
- Finland: US$15m
- Panama: US$15m
- Uzbekistan: US$15m
- New Zealand: US$14m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | US$960m | 20.1% |
| 2 |  United States | US$458m | 9.6% |
| 3 |  Japan | US$448m | 9.4% |
| 4 |  China | US$285m | 6% |
| 5 | Italy | US$248m | 5.2% |
| 6 | United Kingdom | US$242m | 5.1% |
| 7 | Netherlands | US$229m | 4.8% |
| 8 | Belgium | US$204m | 4.3% |
| 9 | Spain | US$186m | 3.9% |
| 10 | France | US$185m | 3.9% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$345m | 7.2% |
| 2 | United States | US$291m | 6.1% |
| 3 | Belgium | US$221m | 4.6% |
| 4 |  Canada | US$215m | 4.5% |
| 5 | Germany | US$204m | 4.3% |
| 6 | Poland | US$203m | 4.2% |
| 7 |  Mexico | US$185m | 3.9% |
| 8 | France | US$171m | 3.6% |
| 9 |  South Korea | US$169m | 3.5% |
| 10 | Netherlands | US$145m | 3% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 7
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.
- N307787 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of “Polyment NK-350” from Japan
- N304910 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of “Solventborne Structured Topcoat Charcoal” from France
- N296871 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of “Elastocol Stick Zero” from Canada
- N275232 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of “ORGA 1000 K-750 BLACK” from Japan
- N275062 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of “PHTHALKYD P571” from Japan
- N275064 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of “PHTHALKYD P575X” from Japan
- 600009892 HMRC
A 500ml pressurised can of galvanised zinc spray. It is used as a spot-weldable primer to prevent corrosion. The can is blue with white writing and a large rectangular section on the side. Information and user guide is printed onto the can. Composition includes: Dimethyl ether, Aluminium, Ethyl…
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.
- Sanctions · Applies from:
The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
S.I. 2026/543 · Source: legislation.gov.uk
In the UK Global Tariff, subheading 3208.20 covers 5 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 6%. 4 of them are duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature divides subheading 3208.20 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is 6.5%.
Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard Free – 6%; 174 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 acrylic or vinyl paints (solvent-based) worth £113.7m (up 4% on the year before), at an average of £5.07 per kg; Germany supplied 25%, followed by Netherlands.
World trade in acrylic or vinyl paints (solvent-based) reached US$5bn in 2024, up 3.6% on 2023.
Germany was the largest exporter with 20.1% of the total, ahead of the United States.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for based on acrylic or vinyl polymers?
Based on acrylic or vinyl polymers fall under HS subheading 3208.20, part of heading 3208, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on based on acrylic or vinyl polymers in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3208.20 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 based on acrylic or vinyl polymers in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3208.20 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 based on acrylic or vinyl polymers?
Germany, with US$960m in 2024 (20.1% of world exports).
Which countries can export acrylic or vinyl paints (solvent-based) 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 – 6% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on acrylic or vinyl paints (solvent-based)?
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 acrylic or vinyl paints (solvent-based) from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Germany (25%), Netherlands (11%) and Spain (10%), out of total imports of £113.7m.