Heading · Chapter 49
4903: Children's picture, drawing or colouring books
Heading 4903 has no further six-digit division: the whole heading is subheading 4903.00, in chapter 49 (printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry).
Duty rates compared
Subheadings 1
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$54.9kUS$54.9k+US$1.1m+US$10.6m+> US$32.9m
Exports: 151
- China: US$1.1bn
- Germany: US$69.4m
- Poland: US$48.8m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$37.7m
- India: US$32.9m
- United States: US$28.7m
- United Kingdom: US$27.6m
- Czechia: US$27.2m
- Netherlands: US$21.9m
- Italy: US$20.4m
- Malaysia: US$17.1m
- Belgium: US$13.8m
- Vietnam: US$13.5m
- France: US$11.8m
- Spain: US$10.6m
- Canada: US$10.2m
- Slovakia: US$5m
- Hungary: US$4m
- Thailand: US$3.5m
- Mexico: US$3.3m
- Singapore: US$3.2m
- Slovenia: US$3.1m
- Ireland: US$2.9m
- South Korea: US$2.9m
- Denmark: US$2.8m
- Latvia: US$2.7m
- Taiwan: US$2.6m
- Russia: US$2.6m
- Türkiye: US$2.5m
- Serbia: US$1.7m
- Lithuania: US$1.6m
- Austria: US$1.5m
- Australia: US$1.4m
- Costa Rica: US$1.3m
- United Arab Emirates: US$1.2m
- Sweden: US$1.1m
- Estonia: US$1.1m
- Brazil: US$992.1k
- Bulgaria: US$906k
- El Salvador: US$886.8k
- Greece: US$730.3k
- Japan: US$674.4k
- Sri Lanka: US$632.8k
- Croatia: US$576.1k
- Romania: US$552.1k
- Indonesia: US$514.4k
- Finland: US$510.1k
- Laos: US$503.8k
- Ukraine: US$486.6k
- South Africa: US$455.1k
- Guatemala: US$439.3k
- Switzerland: US$367.5k
- Cambodia: US$329.1k
- Tunisia: US$325.4k
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$249.4k
- Portugal: US$242.8k
- Argentina: US$230.9k
- Israel: US$197.7k
- Uruguay: US$192k
- Panama: US$177.7k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$158.8kUS$158.8k+US$2.6m+US$12.5m+> US$56.8m
Imports: 197
- United States: US$546.5m
- United Kingdom: US$130m
- Germany: US$105.6m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$73.2m
- France: US$69.6m
- Canada: US$56.8m
- Netherlands: US$55.6m
- Poland: US$42.2m
- South Korea: US$37.7m
- Australia: US$31.7m
- Austria: US$26.3m
- Italy: US$25.8m
- Japan: US$23m
- Brazil: US$20.9m
- Czechia: US$20.3m
- Spain: US$19.9m
- Belgium: US$19.1m
- Ireland: US$15m
- Greece: US$13.7m
- Bulgaria: US$12.5m
- Malaysia: US$12.3m
- Switzerland: US$11.6m
- Slovakia: US$11.2m
- Hungary: US$10.6m
- Romania: US$9.8m
- Mexico: US$9.1m
- Kazakhstan: US$8.9m
- Sweden: US$8.9m
- Denmark: US$8.5m
- Portugal: US$6.8m
- Russia: US$6.3m
- South Africa: US$6m
- Türkiye: US$5.9m
- Croatia: US$5.5m
- Singapore: US$5.3m
- Norway: US$5m
- Finland: US$4.9m
- Saudi Arabia: US$4.4m
- United Arab Emirates: US$4.1m
- Indonesia: US$3.9m
- Israel: US$3.9m
- Slovenia: US$3.7m
- India: US$3.7m
- Taiwan: US$3.4m
- Argentina: US$3.2m
- Lithuania: US$3m
- New Zealand: US$2.9m
- Chile: US$2.9m
- Serbia: US$2.6m
- Estonia: US$2.4m
- Colombia: US$2.4m
- Guatemala: US$2.4m
- Thailand: US$2.2m
- Nicaragua: US$2.2m
- Madagascar: US$1.9m
- Philippines: US$1.9m
- Panama: US$1.8m
- Luxembourg: US$1.5m
- Costa Rica: US$1.5m
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$1.4m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$1.1bn | 70.9% | |
| 2 | US$69.4m | 4.4% | |
| 3 | US$48.8m | 3.1% | |
| 4 | US$37.7m | 2.4% | |
| 5 | US$32.9m | 2.1% | |
| 6 | US$28.7m | 1.8% | |
| 7 | US$27.6m | 1.8% | |
| 8 | US$27.2m | 1.7% | |
| 9 | US$21.9m | 1.4% | |
| 10 | US$20.4m | 1.3% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$546.5m | 34.9% | |
| 2 | US$130m | 8.3% | |
| 3 | US$105.6m | 6.7% | |
| 4 | US$73.2m | 4.7% | |
| 5 | US$69.6m | 4.4% | |
| 6 | US$56.8m | 3.6% | |
| 7 | US$55.6m | 3.5% | |
| 8 | US$42.2m | 2.7% | |
| 9 | US$37.7m | 2.4% | |
| 10 | US$31.7m | 2% |
Heading 4903 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is duty-free.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides heading 4903 into 2 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
Heading 4903 is a single line in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, where the duty is duty-free.
In 2024, countries exported heading 4903 goods worth US$1.6bn (+4.4% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$1.1bn), followed by Germany.
The biggest buyer was the United States, with imports of US$546.5m.
The United Kingdom ranked 7th among 151 exporters with US$27.6m.
The United Kingdom imported US$130m.
Legal notes
Notes
1. This chapter does not cover:
(a) photographic negatives or positives on transparent bases (Chapter 37);
(b) maps, plans or globes, in relief, whether or not printed (heading 9023);
(c) playing cards or other goods of Chapter 95; or
(d) original engravings, prints or lithographs (heading 9702), postage or revenue stamps, stamp-postmarks, first-day covers, postal stationery or the like of heading 9704, antiques of an age exceeding 100 years or other articles of Chapter 97.
2. For the purposes of Chapter 49, the term ‘printed’ also means reproduced by means of a duplicating machine, produced under the control of an automatic data-processing machine, embossed, photographed, photocopied, thermocopied or typewritten.
3. Newspapers, journals and periodicals which are bound otherwise than in paper, and sets of newspapers, journals or periodicals comprising more than one number under a single cover are to be classified in heading 4901, whether or not containing advertising material.
4. Heading 4901 also covers:
(a) a collection of printed reproductions of, for example, works of art or drawings, with a relative text, put up with numbered pages in a form suitable for binding into one or more volumes;
(b) a pictorial supplement accompanying, and subsidiary to, a bound volume; and
(c) printed parts of books or booklets, in the form of assembled or separate sheets or signatures, constituting the whole or a part of a complete work and designed for binding.
However, printed pictures or illustrations not bearing a text, whether in the form of signatures or separate sheets, fall in heading 4911.
5. Subject to note 3 to this chapter, heading 4901 does not cover publications which are essentially devoted to advertising (for example, brochures, pamphlets, leaflets, trade catalogues, yearbooks published by trade associations, tourist propaganda). Such publications are to be classified in heading 4911.
6. For the purposes of heading 4903, the expression ‘children's picture books’ means books for children in which the pictures form the principal interest and the text is subsidiary.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for children's picture, drawing or colouring books?
Children's picture, drawing or colouring books fall under HS heading 4903, part of chapter 49, in section X of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on children's picture, drawing or colouring books in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 4903 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 children's picture, drawing or colouring books in the EU?
Under the Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule, imports under 4903 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 children's picture, drawing or colouring books?
China, with US$1.1bn in 2024 (70.9% of world exports).