Subheading · Chapter 38 · Heading 3821
3821.00: Prepared culture media for the development or maintenance of micro-organisms (including viruses and the like) or of plant, human or animal cells
Prepared culture media
3821.00 is the HS subheading for prepared culture media, under heading 3821 in chapter 38.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 3821 00 00 00 Prepared culture media for the development or maintenance of micro-organisms (including viruses and the like) or of plant, human or animal cells
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 1
- Additional dutyAdditional duties 35%
- Applies to goods from
- Belarus, Russia
- Legal act
- 2022 No. 598
- Documents
- 9014
Import requirements 1
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| standard rate (no agreement) | — | |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 United States | £23.5m | 31.1% | -25.2% |
 France | £14m | 18.5% | +15.4% |
 Germany | £8.2m | 10.8% | +7% |
 Belgium | £5m | 6.6% | +22.2% |
 Canada | £4.9m | 6.5% | +8.4% |
 Italy | £3.6m | 4.7% | +10.3% |
 Netherlands | £3.1m | 4.2% | -2.6% |
 Spain | £2.8m | 3.7% | +20% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$198.8kUS$198.8k+US$3.7m+US$73.1m+> US$302.3m
Exports: 132
- United States: US$988.5m
- France: US$468.9m
- United Kingdom: US$441.8m
- Germany: US$302.3m
- Netherlands: US$254.9m
- Singapore: US$155.5m
- Canada: US$111.7m
- Belgium: US$111.1m
- Italy: US$90m
- Austria: US$80.4m
- Spain: US$79.1m
- Poland: US$73.7m
- Japan: US$73.1m
- China: US$58.4m
- Switzerland: US$52.8m
- Sweden: US$52.5m
- Costa Rica: US$48.4m
- Israel: US$32.3m
- India: US$30.9m
- Denmark: US$18.9m
- South Korea: US$16.1m
- Czechia: US$12.2m
- Argentina: US$10.5m
- Lithuania: US$10.3m
- Ireland: US$9.7m
- Mexico: US$7.5m
- Australia: US$6.5m
- Finland: US$6.4m
- Taiwan: US$5.9m
- Slovenia: US$5.2m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$3.7m
- Brazil: US$3.5m
- Estonia: US$3.5m
- Türkiye: US$3.5m
- Latvia: US$2.5m
- Thailand: US$2.5m
- Greece: US$2.3m
- Hungary: US$1.8m
- Malaysia: US$1.8m
- Guatemala: US$1.8m
- Slovakia: US$1.6m
- United Arab Emirates: US$1.4m
- Portugal: US$935k
- Vietnam: US$887.3k
- Russia: US$840k
- South Africa: US$773.9k
- Serbia: US$643.2k
- New Zealand: US$623.7k
- Indonesia: US$551.7k
- Ecuador: US$517.7k
- Bulgaria: US$513.9k
- Croatia: US$483.2k
- Colombia: US$431k
- Cyprus: US$428.9k
- Chile: US$387.8k
- Uzbekistan: US$380.4k
- Kazakhstan: US$377.9k
- Kenya: US$318.1k
- Norway: US$273.9k
- Armenia: US$236.1k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$801.9kUS$801.9k+US$7.3m+US$46.8m+> US$164m
Imports: 209
- China: US$319.9m
- United States: US$306.5m
- Germany: US$289.8m
- Netherlands: US$286.8m
- South Korea: US$225.4m
- France: US$175.9m
- Ireland: US$164m
- Belgium: US$144.2m
- Switzerland: US$140.2m
- Japan: US$132.7m
- India: US$106.3m
- United Kingdom: US$106m
- Spain: US$98.5m
- Singapore: US$74.8m
- Denmark: US$70.1m
- Canada: US$67m
- Austria: US$66.6m
- Italy: US$62.5m
- Brazil: US$50.4m
- Australia: US$48.2m
- Russia: US$46.8m
- Mexico: US$46.7m
- Taiwan: US$38.8m
- Thailand: US$35.3m
- Türkiye: US$34.5m
- Poland: US$29.1m
- Czechia: US$27.7m
- Sweden: US$25.4m
- Indonesia: US$25.3m
- Argentina: US$20.3m
- Hungary: US$19.5m
- Vietnam: US$19.3m
- Colombia: US$17m
- Philippines: US$15.1m
- United Arab Emirates: US$14.7m
- Malaysia: US$14.5m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$13.3m
- Israel: US$12.5m
- Iran: US$11.2m
- Iceland: US$11m
- Portugal: US$10.8m
- Norway: US$10.5m
- Slovenia: US$10.5m
- Saudi Arabia: US$10.2m
- Chile: US$9.6m
- Romania: US$9.5m
- Greece: US$9.3m
- Peru: US$9m
- South Africa: US$8.6m
- New Zealand: US$7.7m
- Ukraine: US$7.6m
- Finland: US$7.3m
- Guatemala: US$7.1m
- Serbia: US$5.6m
- Belarus: US$5.5m
- Ecuador: US$5.1m
- Slovakia: US$4.6m
- Lithuania: US$4.5m
- Kazakhstan: US$4.4m
- Paraguay: US$4.2m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$988.5m | 27% |
| 2 | France | US$468.9m | 12.8% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | US$441.8m | 12.1% |
| 4 | Germany | US$302.3m | 8.3% |
| 5 | Netherlands | US$254.9m | 7% |
| 6 |  Singapore | US$155.5m | 4.3% |
| 7 | Canada | US$111.7m | 3.1% |
| 8 | Belgium | US$111.1m | 3% |
| 9 | Italy | US$90m | 2.5% |
| 10 |  Austria | US$80.4m | 2.2% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | US$319.9m | 8.7% |
| 2 | United States | US$306.5m | 8.4% |
| 3 | Germany | US$289.8m | 7.9% |
| 4 | Netherlands | US$286.8m | 7.8% |
| 5 |  South Korea | US$225.4m | 6.2% |
| 6 | France | US$175.9m | 4.8% |
| 7 |  Ireland | US$164m | 4.5% |
| 8 | Belgium | US$144.2m | 3.9% |
| 9 |  Switzerland | US$140.2m | 3.8% |
| 10 |  Japan | US$132.7m | 3.6% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 2
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.
- H338086 U.S. CBP
Tariff classification of a transport medium kit
- 600009924 HMRC
Sterile sponge sticks mixed with a nutrient culture solution for sampling in the Food industry. The sponge sticks are delivered in a plastic bag, which can be used as a transport bag, for samples taken to the laboratory, where the analysis is carried out.
Subheading 3821.00 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is 5%.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule has one tariff line for subheading 3821.00; the duty is 5%.
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 .
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
Imports of prepared culture media into the UK came to £75.6m between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 6% on the year before); United States supplied 31%, followed by France.
In 2024, countries exported prepared culture media worth US$3.7bn (+4.9% year on year).
The largest exporter was the United States (US$988.5m), followed by France.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for prepared culture media for the development or maintenance of micro-organisms (including viruses and the like) or of plant, human or animal cells?
Prepared culture media for the development or maintenance of micro-organisms (including viruses and the like) or of plant, human or animal cells fall under HS subheading 3821.00, part of heading 3821, in section VI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on prepared culture media for the development or… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3821.00 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 5%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on prepared culture media for the development or… in the EU?
Under the Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule, imports under 3821.00 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 5%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most prepared culture media for the development or…?
The United States, with US$988.5m in 2024 (27% of world exports).
Which countries can export prepared culture media 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 applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on prepared culture media?
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 prepared culture media from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were United States (31%), France (19%) and Germany (11%), out of total imports of £75.6m.