Subheading · Chapter 47 · Heading 4703
4703.21: Chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate, other than dissolving: semi-bleached or bleached, coniferous
Bleached softwood kraft pulp
Official description Coniferous
4703.21 is the HS subheading for bleached softwood kraft pulp, under heading 4703 in chapter 47.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 4703 21 00 00 Coniferous Freekg 90% sdt
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 2
- 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 timber and timber products subject to the FLEGT licensing scheme
- Applies to goods from
- Indonesia
- Legal act
- CS Indonesia No.1/2019
- Documents
- C690 FLEGT import licence for timber
- Y057 Goods not requiring the presentation of a FLEGT import licence for timber
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 | |
| 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 |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sweden | £105.6m | 72.8% | -4% |
 Finland | £27.9m | 19.2% | +20.6% |
 United States | £10.2m | 7% | -36.2% |
 Germany | £1m | 0.7% | -54.6% |
 Hong Kong SAR China | £273k | 0.2% | -43.7% |
 Canada | £96k | 0.1% | -20.6% |
 Chile | £28k | 0% | — |
 France | £12k | 0% | +140.8% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EUWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$600kUS$600k+US$57m+US$431m+> US$3bn
Exports: 80
- United States: US$4bn
- Canada: US$3bn
- Sweden: US$3bn
- Finland: US$2bn
- Chile: US$1bn
- Russia: US$825m
- Germany: US$619m
- Brazil: US$431m
- Netherlands: US$276m
- Austria: US$162m
- Argentina: US$130m
- New Zealand: US$123m
- France: US$122m
- Poland: US$78m
- Czechia: US$76m
- China: US$69m
- Türkiye: US$69m
- Japan: US$61m
- Belgium: US$60m
- Spain: US$57m
- Portugal: US$48m
- Belarus: US$46m
- Italy: US$39m
- Latvia: US$20m
- Uruguay: US$8m
- Estonia: US$7m
- South Africa: US$5m
- Switzerland: US$5m
- Norway: US$2m
- Indonesia: US$2m
- Malaysia: US$1m
- Colombia: US$1m
- Singapore: US$1m
- Slovenia: US$1m
- Tunisia: US$992k
- Taiwan: US$936k
- Slovakia: US$722k
- Greece: US$611k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$600k
- Guatemala: US$589k
- Mexico: US$376k
- South Korea: US$350k
- Hungary: US$329k
- Kenya: US$285k
- Cambodia: US$273k
- Ukraine: US$218k
- United Arab Emirates: US$184k
- Georgia: US$179k
- Kazakhstan: US$171k
- India: US$169k
- Ecuador: US$164k
- Peru: US$148k
- North Macedonia: US$129k
- Cyprus: US$115k
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$115k
- Israel: US$99k
- Eswatini: US$94k
- Senegal: US$86k
- Bulgaria: US$81k
- Panama: US$78k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$11mUS$11m+US$66m+US$277m+> US$602m
Imports: 137
- China: US$6bn
- United States: US$2bn
- Italy: US$731m
- Germany: US$657m
- Japan: US$602m
- Netherlands: US$591m
- Türkiye: US$482m
- Indonesia: US$458m
- Mexico: US$421m
- France: US$405m
- Spain: US$395m
- Poland: US$342m
- India: US$339m
- South Korea: US$277m
- United Kingdom: US$199m
- Belgium: US$197m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$188m
- Brazil: US$143m
- Czechia: US$136m
- Egypt: US$131m
- Thailand: US$129m
- Taiwan: US$120m
- Canada: US$103m
- South Africa: US$99m
- Vietnam: US$98m
- Austria: US$97m
- Australia: US$84m
- Portugal: US$84m
- Colombia: US$83m
- Saudi Arabia: US$75m
- Israel: US$75m
- Slovenia: US$71m
- United Arab Emirates: US$70m
- Algeria: US$66m
- Pakistan: US$66m
- Tunisia: US$64m
- Slovakia: US$62m
- Singapore: US$60m
- Philippines: US$58m
- Greece: US$57m
- Malaysia: US$54m
- Hungary: US$53m
- Iran: US$48m
- Romania: US$45m
- Nigeria: US$45m
- Norway: US$41m
- Denmark: US$39m
- Morocco: US$36m
- Bangladesh: US$35m
- Switzerland: US$34m
- Jordan: US$32m
- Kenya: US$27m
- Russia: US$25m
- Uzbekistan: US$25m
- Peru: US$22m
- Sweden: US$21m
- Ukraine: US$21m
- Finland: US$19m
- Angola: US$19m
- Ghana: US$18m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$4bn | 25.4% |
| 2 | Canada | US$3bn | 19.2% |
| 3 | Sweden | US$3bn | 14.7% |
| 4 | Finland | US$2bn | 14.4% |
| 5 | Chile | US$1bn | 7% |
| 6 |  Russia | US$825m | 4.8% |
| 7 | Germany | US$619m | 3.6% |
| 8 |  Brazil | US$431m | 2.5% |
| 9 |  Netherlands | US$276m | 1.6% |
| 10 |  Austria | US$162m | 0.9% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | US$6bn | 34.5% |
| 2 | United States | US$2bn | 11.8% |
| 3 |  Italy | US$731m | 4.3% |
| 4 | Germany | US$657m | 3.8% |
| 5 |  Japan | US$602m | 3.5% |
| 6 | Netherlands | US$591m | 3.4% |
| 7 |  Türkiye | US$482m | 2.8% |
| 8 |  Indonesia | US$458m | 2.7% |
| 9 |  Mexico | US$421m | 2.4% |
| 10 | France | US$405m | 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
Subheading 4703.21 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 4703.21; the duty is duty-free.
Goods from 156 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard Free; 156 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 bleached softwood kraft pulp worth £145.2m (down 7% on the year before), at an average of £0.62 per kg; Sweden supplied 73%, followed by Finland.
World trade in bleached softwood kraft pulp reached US$17bn in 2024, down 6.1% on 2023.
The United States was the largest exporter with 25.4% of the total, ahead of Canada.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate, other than dissolving: semi-bleached or bleached, coniferous?
Chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate, other than dissolving: semi-bleached or bleached, coniferous fall under HS subheading 4703.21, part of heading 4703, in section X of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 4703.21 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 chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 4703.21 from countries without a preferential agreement are free of duty. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most chemical wood pulp, soda or sulphate?
The United States, with US$4bn in 2024 (25.4% of world exports).
Which countries can export bleached softwood kraft pulp to the UK duty-free?
156 countries pay no duty under a trade agreement or preference scheme, among them partners under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union, CARIFORUM. 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.
Is there anti-dumping duty on bleached softwood kraft pulp?
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 bleached softwood kraft pulp from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Sweden (73%), Finland (19%) and United States (7%), out of total imports of £145.2m.