Subheading · Chapter 38 · Heading 3812
3812.20: Compound plasticisers for rubber or plastics
Subheading 3812.20 belongs to heading 3812 (prepared rubber accelerators) in chapter 38.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 3812 20 00 00 Compound plasticisers for rubber or plastics
- 3812 20 10 00 Reaction mixture containing benzyl 3-isobutyryloxy-1-isopropyl-2.2-dimethylpropyl phthalate and benzyl 3-isobutyryloxy-2.2,4-trimethylpentyl phthalate Free
- 3812 20 90 00 Other Free
- 3812 20 90 10 Plasticizer, containing: - bis(2-ethylhexyl)-1.4-benzene dicarboxylate (cas rn 6422-86-2) - more than 10% but not more than 60% by weight of dibutylterephthalate (cas rn 1962-75-0) Free
- 3812 20 90 20 1.2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-c6-8-branched alkyl esters, c7-rich (cas rn 71888-89-6) (cas rn 71888-89-6) Free
- 3812 20 90 30 1.2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, di-c7-11-branched and linear alkyl esters (cas rn 68515-42-4) Free
- 3812 20 90 40 N-pentyl-isopentylphthalate (cas rn 776297-69-9) Free
- 3812 20 90 90 Other Free
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 2
- 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 1
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Russia, Ukraine
- Legal act
- 2023 No. 440, S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9011
- 9022
- 9038
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | Free |
| 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 | £3.7m | 37.1% | +2.8% |
 United States | £2.5m | 24.4% | +35.9% |
 China | £1.1m | 11.3% | +21.8% |
 Netherlands | £1m | 10.2% | +58.4% |
 Poland | £466k | 4.6% | +19.2% |
 Estonia | £403k | 4% | -12.5% |
 India | £316k | 3.1% | -11.8% |
 Italy | £185k | 1.8% | +19.8% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EUWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$213kUS$213k+US$7m+US$33m+> US$84m
Exports: 91
- Germany: US$152m
- China: US$103m
- Indonesia: US$84m
- United States: US$82m
- Netherlands: US$45m
- Malaysia: US$44m
- Bahrain: US$34m
- Japan: US$34m
- Estonia: US$33m
- Canada: US$31m
- India: US$29m
- Taiwan: US$27m
- Argentina: US$20m
- South Korea: US$20m
- Italy: US$16m
- Belgium: US$15m
- United Arab Emirates: US$15m
- Thailand: US$14m
- Spain: US$12m
- United Kingdom: US$11m
- Poland: US$9m
- Saudi Arabia: US$7m
- Brazil: US$4m
- Singapore: US$4m
- France: US$4m
- Türkiye: US$3m
- Sweden: US$3m
- Qatar: US$2m
- Denmark: US$2m
- Slovakia: US$1m
- Russia: US$1m
- Portugal: US$1m
- Czechia: US$905k
- Vietnam: US$720k
- Switzerland: US$676k
- Romania: US$610k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$597k
- Colombia: US$591k
- Lithuania: US$585k
- Mexico: US$393k
- Austria: US$308k
- Ireland: US$283k
- Uzbekistan: US$258k
- Bulgaria: US$213k
- Guatemala: US$204k
- Hungary: US$202k
- New Zealand: US$201k
- Kazakhstan: US$180k
- Iran: US$179k
- Latvia: US$158k
- South Africa: US$148k
- Finland: US$137k
- Chile: US$103k
- Samoa: US$99k
- Slovenia: US$97k
- Israel: US$87k
- Sri Lanka: US$82k
- Peru: US$81k
- Tanzania: US$64k
- Australia: US$58k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$414kUS$414k+US$3m+US$14m+> US$40m
Imports: 164
- United States: US$125m
- Saudi Arabia: US$73m
- China: US$69m
- India: US$45m
- Vietnam: US$40m
- France: US$38m
- Thailand: US$30m
- Japan: US$28m
- Türkiye: US$27m
- Mexico: US$27m
- Italy: US$26m
- Indonesia: US$26m
- Belgium: US$25m
- Germany: US$19m
- Malaysia: US$17m
- Netherlands: US$16m
- Portugal: US$14m
- Canada: US$14m
- Taiwan: US$14m
- United Kingdom: US$10m
- Poland: US$10m
- Romania: US$10m
- Spain: US$9m
- South Africa: US$9m
- Bangladesh: US$9m
- United Arab Emirates: US$9m
- South Korea: US$8m
- Colombia: US$8m
- Brazil: US$7m
- Serbia: US$6m
- Philippines: US$6m
- Uruguay: US$5m
- Austria: US$5m
- Costa Rica: US$5m
- Singapore: US$5m
- Sweden: US$4m
- Russia: US$3m
- Egypt: US$3m
- Uzbekistan: US$3m
- Nepal: US$3m
- Hungary: US$3m
- Czechia: US$3m
- Slovenia: US$3m
- Switzerland: US$3m
- Dominican Republic: US$3m
- Cambodia: US$2m
- Ecuador: US$2m
- Sri Lanka: US$2m
- Australia: US$2m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$2m
- Chile: US$2m
- Peru: US$2m
- Lithuania: US$2m
- Nigeria: US$2m
- Kenya: US$2m
- Kazakhstan: US$1m
- Latvia: US$1m
- Iran: US$1m
- Pakistan: US$1m
- Kuwait: US$1m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | US$152m | 17.5% |
| 2 | China | US$103m | 11.9% |
| 3 |  Indonesia | US$84m | 9.6% |
| 4 | United States | US$82m | 9.4% |
| 5 | Netherlands | US$45m | 5.1% |
| 6 |  Malaysia | US$44m | 5.1% |
| 7 |  Bahrain | US$34m | 3.9% |
| 8 |  Japan | US$34m | 3.9% |
| 9 | Estonia | US$33m | 3.8% |
| 10 |  Canada | US$31m | 3.6% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$125m | 14.3% |
| 2 |  Saudi Arabia | US$73m | 8.4% |
| 3 | China | US$69m | 7.9% |
| 4 | India | US$45m | 5.1% |
| 5 |  Vietnam | US$40m | 4.6% |
| 6 |  France | US$38m | 4.3% |
| 7 |  Thailand | US$30m | 3.4% |
| 8 | Japan | US$28m | 3.3% |
| 9 |  Türkiye | US$27m | 3.1% |
| 10 |  Mexico | US$27m | 3.1% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 3
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.
The UK Global Tariff divides subheading 3812.20 into 6 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, subheading 3812.20 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 6.5%. 1 of them is duty-free.
174 countries pay no duty in the UK thanks to trade agreements and preference schemes such as DCTS Comprehensive and European Union, against a standard rate of Free.
Imports of these goods into the UK came to £10m between September 2025 and August 2026 (up 14% on the year before); Germany supplied 37%, followed by United States.
In 2024, countries exported these goods worth US$869m (+1.2% year on year).
The largest exporter was Germany (US$152m), followed by China.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for compound plasticisers for rubber or plastics?
Compound plasticisers for rubber or plastics fall under HS subheading 3812.20, part of heading 3812, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on compound plasticisers for rubber or plastics in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3812.20 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 compound plasticisers for rubber or plastics in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3812.20 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 compound plasticisers for rubber or plastics?
Germany, with US$152m in 2024 (17.5% of world exports).
Which countries can export these goods 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 applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Germany (37%), United States (24%) and China (11%), out of total imports of £10m.