Subheading · Chapter 39 · Heading 3903
3903.19: Polymers of styrene, in primary forms: polystyrene, other
Other polystyrene (not expansible)
Official description Other
3903.19 is the HS subheading for other polystyrene (not expansible), under heading 3903 in chapter 39.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 3903 19 00 00 Other 6%
- 3903 19 00 40 Crystalline polystyrene with: - a melting point of 268 °c or more but not more than 272 °c - a setting point of 232 °c or more but not more than 247 °c, - whether or not containing additives and filling material 6%
- 3903 19 00 90 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
- 2022 No. 833
- Documents
- 9018
- Duty suspensionAutonomous tariff suspension Free
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- In force
- until 31 December 2028
- Legal act
- 2020 No. 1435
- Tariff lines
- on 1 of 2 lines
- 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 3
- 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
- Import controlImport control of fluorinated greenhouse gases
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 517/2014
- Documents
- Y054 Goods labelled according to the provisions of Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Y053
- Y986 Exemption from import prohibition according to Article 11.1 and 11.2 of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Y926
- 9066
- Y123 Undertaking registered in the F-Gas Portal according to Article 20 of Regulation (EU) 2024/573
- Y124
- Y976
- 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) | — | 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 |
| 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 |
| DCTS Standard | Indonesia | 2.5% |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 France | £15.1m | 32.2% | +28.4% |
 Belgium | £12.4m | 26.4% | +3.2% |
 Greece | £6.5m | 13.9% | -19.9% |
 Italy | £6.1m | 12.9% | +15% |
 Germany | £1m | 2.2% | -8.2% |
 United States | £842k | 1.8% | -11.9% |
 Japan | £816k | 1.7% | -40.9% |
 Malaysia | £641k | 1.4% | +207.4% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$671kUS$671k+US$23m+US$128m+> US$327m
Exports: 120
- Taiwan: US$499m
- Belgium: US$476m
- France: US$337m
- China: US$327m
- South Korea: US$287m
- United States: US$265m
- Malaysia: US$218m
- Japan: US$184m
- Germany: US$178m
- Italy: US$161m
- Mexico: US$138m
- Saudi Arabia: US$128m
- Singapore: US$109m
- Iran: US$108m
- Thailand: US$107m
- Poland: US$64m
- Pakistan: US$60m
- Spain: US$59m
- Hungary: US$57m
- Vietnam: US$55m
- India: US$52m
- Netherlands: US$50m
- Colombia: US$45m
- Czechia: US$42m
- Türkiye: US$40m
- Brazil: US$37m
- Greece: US$33m
- Russia: US$27m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$27m
- Bulgaria: US$23m
- Indonesia: US$22m
- Egypt: US$21m
- United Kingdom: US$20m
- Lithuania: US$14m
- Portugal: US$12m
- Austria: US$10m
- Canada: US$10m
- Finland: US$9m
- Norway: US$8m
- Argentina: US$7m
- Sweden: US$7m
- Denmark: US$6m
- United Arab Emirates: US$6m
- Croatia: US$6m
- Philippines: US$6m
- Romania: US$5m
- Switzerland: US$4m
- Slovakia: US$3m
- Israel: US$3m
- Australia: US$3m
- Slovenia: US$2m
- South Africa: US$2m
- Serbia: US$2m
- New Zealand: US$1m
- Armenia: US$943k
- Dominican Republic: US$873k
- Jordan: US$834k
- Uzbekistan: US$679k
- Ireland: US$671k
- Bahamas: US$661k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$2mUS$2m+US$20m+US$65m+> US$164m
Imports: 191
- China: US$535m
- Germany: US$242m
- Vietnam: US$202m
- Türkiye: US$187m
- Italy: US$171m
- Mexico: US$164m
- United States: US$147m
- Malaysia: US$143m
- Spain: US$135m
- Canada: US$117m
- Poland: US$111m
- Portugal: US$103m
- France: US$103m
- Indonesia: US$100m
- Egypt: US$93m
- Jordan: US$70m
- Belgium: US$68m
- South Africa: US$66m
- Austria: US$65m
- United Kingdom: US$65m
- Brazil: US$64m
- Netherlands: US$62m
- Dominican Republic: US$59m
- Philippines: US$59m
- India: US$59m
- Romania: US$56m
- Switzerland: US$52m
- Russia: US$51m
- Thailand: US$47m
- Finland: US$46m
- Bulgaria: US$45m
- Morocco: US$43m
- Bangladesh: US$41m
- Hungary: US$41m
- United Arab Emirates: US$38m
- Japan: US$36m
- Ukraine: US$35m
- Algeria: US$33m
- Israel: US$31m
- Sweden: US$31m
- Serbia: US$31m
- Greece: US$30m
- Kazakhstan: US$29m
- Lithuania: US$26m
- Czechia: US$24m
- Peru: US$22m
- Uzbekistan: US$21m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$20m
- Slovenia: US$19m
- Ecuador: US$17m
- El Salvador: US$16m
- Singapore: US$15m
- Guatemala: US$14m
- Kuwait: US$13m
- Colombia: US$13m
- Ghana: US$10m
- Norway: US$10m
- Australia: US$10m
- Tunisia: US$9m
- Cambodia: US$9m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Taiwan | US$499m | 11.4% |
| 2 | Belgium | US$476m | 10.8% |
| 3 | France | US$337m | 7.7% |
| 4 |  China | US$327m | 7.5% |
| 5 |  South Korea | US$287m | 6.5% |
| 6 | United States | US$265m | 6% |
| 7 | Malaysia | US$218m | 5% |
| 8 | Japan | US$184m | 4.2% |
| 9 | Germany | US$178m | 4.1% |
| 10 | Italy | US$161m | 3.7% |
In the UK Global Tariff, subheading 3903.19 covers 2 tariff lines and the duty is 6%.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 3903.19; the duty is 6.5%.
Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard 6%; 173 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 other polystyrene (not expansible) worth £46.9m (up 5% on the year before), at an average of £1.39 per kg; France supplied 32%, followed by Belgium.
World trade in other polystyrene (not expansible) reached US$4bn in 2024, up 0.2% on 2023.
Taiwan was the largest exporter with 11.4% of the total, ahead of Belgium.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for polymers of styrene, in primary forms: polystyrene, other?
Polymers of styrene, in primary forms: polystyrene, other fall under HS subheading 3903.19, part of heading 3903, in section VII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on polymers of styrene, in primary forms in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 3903.19 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 6%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on polymers of styrene, in primary forms in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 3903.19 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 polymers of styrene, in primary forms?
Taiwan, with US$499m in 2024 (11.4% of world exports).
Which countries can export other polystyrene (not expansible) to the UK duty-free?
173 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 6% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on other polystyrene (not expansible)?
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 other polystyrene (not expansible) from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were France (32%), Belgium (26%) and Greece (14%), out of total imports of £46.9m.