Heading · Chapter 32
3212: Pigments (including metallic powders and flakes) dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints (including enamels); stamping foils; dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale
Heading 3212 is divided into 2 six-digit subheadings and sits in chapter 32, tanning or dyeing extracts.
Duty rates compared
UK Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
EU 6.5% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Türkiye 6.5% Third-country duty 4 tariff lines 
USA 3.1% – 4.7% General (MFN) 2 tariff lines · average 3.9% 
Canada Free General (MFN) 4 tariff lines 
Mexico Free General (MFN) 4 tariff lines 
Brazil 12.6% General (MFN) 3 tariff lines 
Argentina 12.6% General (MFN) 7 tariff lines 
Peru Free – 6% General (MFN) 3 tariff lines · average 2% 
New Zealand Free General (MFN) 6 tariff lines 
Japan 2.1% – 4.1% General (MFN) 3 tariff lines · average 3.4% 
Taiwan 5% – 6.5% General (MFN) 7 tariff lines · average 6.3% 
GCC 5% General (MFN) 6 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free General (MFN) 2 tariff lines 
Norway Free General (MFN) 4 tariff lines 
North Macedonia 5% General (MFN) 2 tariff lines 
Nigeria 10% General (MFN) 2 tariff lines Subheadings 2
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$415kUS$415k+US$6m+US$48m+> US$117m
Exports: 143
- Germany: US$479m
- China: US$233m
- United States: US$228m
- Japan: US$121m
- France: US$117m
- Netherlands: US$108m
- Taiwan: US$106m
- Italy: US$102m
- Malaysia: US$91m
- South Korea: US$90m
- United Kingdom: US$66m
- India: US$60m
- Poland: US$55m
- Belgium: US$48m
- Spain: US$46m
- Switzerland: US$42m
- Canada: US$38m
- Austria: US$25m
- Sweden: US$23m
- Ireland: US$21m
- Slovenia: US$17m
- Saudi Arabia: US$17m
- Denmark: US$16m
- Mexico: US$14m
- South Africa: US$12m
- Türkiye: US$11m
- Norway: US$9m
- Romania: US$9m
- Brazil: US$8m
- Singapore: US$8m
- United Arab Emirates: US$8m
- Hungary: US$7m
- Finland: US$7m
- Australia: US$6m
- Russia: US$6m
- Thailand: US$6m
- Czechia: US$5m
- Uruguay: US$5m
- Greece: US$5m
- Portugal: US$4m
- Costa Rica: US$4m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$4m
- Bulgaria: US$3m
- Lithuania: US$3m
- El Salvador: US$3m
- Latvia: US$2m
- Kazakhstan: US$2m
- Indonesia: US$2m
- Colombia: US$2m
- Vietnam: US$1m
- Estonia: US$1m
- Serbia: US$1m
- Chile: US$1m
- Tunisia: US$1m
- Slovakia: US$1m
- Israel: US$1m
- Morocco: US$990k
- Egypt: US$978k
- Kenya: US$819k
- Argentina: US$700k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$1mUS$1m+US$7m+US$26m+> US$82m
Imports: 208
- United States: US$242m
- Germany: US$163m
- China: US$129m
- Italy: US$102m
- France: US$98m
- Belgium: US$92m
- Mexico: US$82m
- India: US$80m
- Poland: US$72m
- Spain: US$68m
- Canada: US$64m
- United Kingdom: US$64m
- Türkiye: US$61m
- South Korea: US$57m
- Indonesia: US$51m
- Netherlands: US$49m
- Brazil: US$48m
- Thailand: US$45m
- Vietnam: US$34m
- Austria: US$32m
- Japan: US$26m
- Russia: US$26m
- Australia: US$25m
- Malaysia: US$23m
- Switzerland: US$22m
- Czechia: US$21m
- South Africa: US$20m
- United Arab Emirates: US$20m
- Taiwan: US$19m
- Singapore: US$19m
- Romania: US$17m
- Ukraine: US$17m
- Saudi Arabia: US$16m
- Hungary: US$16m
- Uzbekistan: US$16m
- Sweden: US$15m
- Kuwait: US$15m
- Portugal: US$14m
- Philippines: US$14m
- Argentina: US$13m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$13m
- Colombia: US$11m
- Belarus: US$10m
- Denmark: US$10m
- Guatemala: US$9m
- Ireland: US$8m
- Chile: US$8m
- Slovakia: US$8m
- Egypt: US$8m
- Kazakhstan: US$8m
- Algeria: US$7m
- Israel: US$7m
- Norway: US$7m
- Slovenia: US$7m
- Bangladesh: US$7m
- Greece: US$7m
- Bulgaria: US$7m
- Croatia: US$7m
- Finland: US$6m
- Morocco: US$6m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Germany | US$479m | 20.6% |
| 2 |  China | US$233m | 10% |
| 3 | United States | US$228m | 9.8% |
| 4 | Japan | US$121m | 5.2% |
| 5 |  France | US$117m | 5% |
| 6 |  Netherlands | US$108m | 4.6% |
| 7 | Taiwan | US$106m | 4.6% |
| 8 |  Italy | US$102m | 4.4% |
| 9 |  Malaysia | US$91m | 3.9% |
| 10 |  South Korea | US$90m | 3.9% |
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 32026R2163 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
The UK Global Tariff divides heading 3212 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, heading 3212 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is 6.5%.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides heading 3212 into 4 tariff lines; the duty is 6.5%.
In the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, heading 3212 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is between 3.1% and 4.7%.
The Customs Tariff of Canada divides heading 3212 into 4 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Mexican Tariff (TIGIE), heading 3212 covers 4 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Brazilian Tariff (NCM/TEC) divides heading 3212 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is 12.6%.
In the Argentine Tariff (NCM-SIM), heading 3212 covers 7 tariff lines and the duty is 12.6%.
The Customs Tariff of Peru divides heading 3212 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 6% (average 2%). 2 of them are duty-free.
In the Working Tariff Document of New Zealand, heading 3212 covers 6 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff Schedules of Japan divides heading 3212 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is between 2.1% and 4.1% (average 3.4%).
In the Customs Import Tariff of Taiwan, heading 3212 covers 7 tariff lines and the duty is between 5% and 6.5%.
The GCC Common Customs Tariff divides heading 3212 into 6 tariff lines; the duty is 5%.
In the Swiss Customs Tariff (Tares), heading 3212 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of Norway divides heading 3212 into 4 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff of North Macedonia, heading 3212 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is 5%.
The ECOWAS Common External Tariff (Nigeria) divides heading 3212 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is 10%.
In 2024, countries exported heading 3212 goods worth US$2.3bn (+3.2% year on year).
The largest exporter was Germany (US$479m), followed by China.
The biggest buyer was the United States, with imports of US$242m.
The United Kingdom ranked 11th among 143 exporters with US$66m.
The United Kingdom imported US$64m.
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 pigments (including metallic powders and flakes) dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints (including enamels); stamping foils; dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale?
Pigments (including metallic powders and flakes) dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints (including enamels); stamping foils; dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale fall under HS heading 3212, part of chapter 32, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on pigments (including metallic powders and flakes)… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3212 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 pigments (including metallic powders and flakes)… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3212 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 pigments (including metallic powders and flakes)…?
Germany, with US$479m in 2024 (20.6% of world exports).