Heading · Chapter 32
3215: Printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other inks, whether or not concentrated or solid
3 subheadings make up heading 3215 in chapter 32 (tanning or dyeing extracts).
Duty rates compared
UK Free – 6% Third-country duty 7 tariff lines · average 5.1% 
EU Free – 6.5% Third-country duty 4 tariff lines · average 4.9% 
Türkiye 6.5% Third-country duty 5 tariff lines 
USA Free – 3.1% General (MFN) 8 tariff lines · average 1.5% 
Canada Free Third-country duty 6 tariff lines 
Mexico Free – 5% Third-country duty 10 tariff lines · average 1.5% 
Brazil 12.6% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Argentina 12.6% Third-country duty 78 tariff lines 
Peru Free – 6% Third-country duty 5 tariff lines · average 4.8% 
New Zealand Free – 5% Third-country duty 9 tariff lines · average 3.3% 
Japan 3.9% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Taiwan Free – 6.5% Third-country duty 5 tariff lines · average 3.9% 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 25 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Norway Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
North Macedonia Free – 6% Third-country duty 4 tariff lines · average 2.3% 
Nigeria 10% – 20% Third-country duty 4 tariff lines · average 12.5% Subheadings 3
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$349kUS$349k+US$16m+US$176m+> US$764m
Exports: 177
- Germany: US$2bn
- Japan: US$1bn
- India: US$1bn
- China: US$1bn
- Netherlands: US$836m
- United States: US$764m
- United Kingdom: US$717m
- Switzerland: US$546m
- France: US$495m
- Singapore: US$480m
- Malaysia: US$424m
- Indonesia: US$357m
- Spain: US$333m
- Italy: US$293m
- Philippines: US$258m
- Belgium: US$242m
- South Korea: US$230m
- Israel: US$176m
- Türkiye: US$120m
- Poland: US$120m
- Austria: US$119m
- Czechia: US$111m
- Taiwan: US$105m
- Sweden: US$83m
- Canada: US$75m
- Luxembourg: US$56m
- South Africa: US$54m
- Denmark: US$50m
- Thailand: US$37m
- Costa Rica: US$35m
- Hungary: US$33m
- Ireland: US$29m
- Vietnam: US$28m
- Greece: US$27m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$25m
- Mexico: US$24m
- Guatemala: US$22m
- Brazil: US$22m
- Colombia: US$21m
- Lithuania: US$20m
- El Salvador: US$20m
- Australia: US$16m
- Saudi Arabia: US$16m
- Portugal: US$14m
- Slovakia: US$13m
- United Arab Emirates: US$13m
- Serbia: US$12m
- Finland: US$11m
- Peru: US$11m
- Bulgaria: US$10m
- Estonia: US$9m
- Slovenia: US$9m
- Latvia: US$8m
- Chile: US$8m
- Nicaragua: US$6m
- Croatia: US$6m
- Russia: US$6m
- Romania: US$4m
- Uzbekistan: US$4m
- Kenya: US$4m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$4mUS$4m+US$40m+US$169m+> US$471m
Imports: 222
- Germany: US$1bn
- United Arab Emirates: US$1bn
- Netherlands: US$881m
- France: US$879m
- United States: US$765m
- China: US$472m
- Italy: US$471m
- United Kingdom: US$407m
- Poland: US$325m
- Czechia: US$320m
- Mexico: US$297m
- Spain: US$264m
- Singapore: US$253m
- India: US$232m
- Belgium: US$221m
- Austria: US$220m
- Australia: US$207m
- Canada: US$202m
- Türkiye: US$195m
- Vietnam: US$186m
- Malaysia: US$172m
- Brazil: US$170m
- Indonesia: US$169m
- Thailand: US$163m
- Russia: US$120m
- Portugal: US$119m
- Switzerland: US$114m
- Philippines: US$114m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$101m
- Bangladesh: US$99m
- South Africa: US$99m
- Sweden: US$97m
- Greece: US$96m
- South Korea: US$94m
- Romania: US$88m
- Hungary: US$86m
- Denmark: US$84m
- Japan: US$79m
- Slovakia: US$77m
- Taiwan: US$76m
- Saudi Arabia: US$72m
- Egypt: US$69m
- Colombia: US$58m
- Guatemala: US$51m
- Algeria: US$51m
- Chile: US$47m
- Peru: US$47m
- Pakistan: US$46m
- Ukraine: US$44m
- Israel: US$44m
- Croatia: US$43m
- Morocco: US$43m
- Argentina: US$42m
- Norway: US$41m
- Finland: US$40m
- Serbia: US$40m
- Ireland: US$40m
- New Zealand: US$39m
- Malta: US$38m
- Slovenia: US$37m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Germany | US$2bn | 13.1% |
| 2 | Japan | US$1bn | 10.5% |
| 3 |  India | US$1bn | 9.9% |
| 4 |  China | US$1bn | 8.8% |
| 5 |  Netherlands | US$836m | 6.3% |
| 6 | United States | US$764m | 5.8% |
| 7 | United Kingdom | US$717m | 5.4% |
| 8 | Switzerland | US$546m | 4.1% |
| 9 |  France | US$495m | 3.8% |
| 10 |  Singapore | US$480m | 3.6% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | US$1bn | 9.2% |
| 2 |  United Arab Emirates | US$1bn | 8.6% |
| 3 | Netherlands | US$881m | 6.7% |
| 4 | France | US$879m | 6.7% |
| 5 | United States | US$765m | 5.8% |
| 6 | China | US$472m | 3.6% |
| 7 |  Italy | US$471m | 3.6% |
| 8 | United Kingdom | US$407m | 3.1% |
| 9 |  Poland | US$325m | 2.5% |
| 10 |  Czechia | US$320m | 2.4% |
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, heading 3215 covers 7 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 6%. 1 of them is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature divides heading 3215 into 4 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 6.5% (average 4.9%). 1 of them is duty-free.
In the Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule, heading 3215 covers 5 tariff lines and the duty is 6.5%.
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States divides heading 3215 into 8 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 3.1% (average 1.5%). 2 of them are duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff of Canada, heading 3215 covers 6 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Mexican Tariff (TIGIE) divides heading 3215 into 10 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 5% (average 1.5%). 7 of them are duty-free.
In the Brazilian Tariff (NCM/TEC), heading 3215 covers 3 tariff lines and the duty is 12.6%.
The Argentine Tariff (NCM-SIM) divides heading 3215 into 78 tariff lines; the duty is 12.6%.
In the Customs Tariff of Peru, heading 3215 covers 5 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 6%. 1 of them is duty-free.
The Working Tariff Document of New Zealand divides heading 3215 into 9 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 5% (average 3.3%). 3 of them are duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff Schedules of Japan, heading 3215 covers 3 tariff lines and the duty is 3.9%.
The Customs Import Tariff of Taiwan divides heading 3215 into 5 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 6.5% (average 3.9%). 2 of them are duty-free.
In the GCC Common Customs Tariff, heading 3215 covers 25 tariff lines and the duty is 5%.
The Swiss Customs Tariff (Tares) divides heading 3215 into 3 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff of Norway, heading 3215 covers 3 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of North Macedonia divides heading 3215 into 4 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 6% (average 2.3%). 2 of them are duty-free.
In the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (Nigeria), heading 3215 covers 4 tariff lines and the duty is between 10% and 20%.
World trade in heading 3215 goods reached US$13bn in 2024, up 7.9% on 2023.
Germany was the largest exporter with 13.1% of the total, ahead of Japan.
Germany imported the most (US$1bn).
The United Kingdom ranked 7th among 177 exporters with US$717m.
The United Kingdom imported US$407m.
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 printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other inks, whether or not concentrated or solid?
Printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other inks, whether or not concentrated or solid fall under HS heading 3215, part of chapter 32, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3215 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 printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3215 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 6.5%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other…?
Germany, with US$2bn in 2024 (13.1% of world exports).