Subheading · Chapter 96 · Heading 9603
9603.21: Toothbrushes, including dental-plate brushes
Toothbrushes
9603.21 is the HS subheading for toothbrushes, under heading 9603 in chapter 96.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 9603 21 00 00 Toothbrushes, including dental-plate brushes 2%p/st
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) | — | 2% |
| 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 | £28.1m | 26.7% | -6.1% |
 China | £24.6m | 23.4% | -4.1% |
 Sweden | £23m | 21.9% | -0.8% |
 Ireland | £6.6m | 6.3% | +13.4% |
 India | £4.2m | 4% | +8.9% |
 Hungary | £3.5m | 3.3% | +231.5% |
 Switzerland | £3.3m | 3.1% | +27.7% |
 United States | £2.4m | 2.2% | +17% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$154.6kUS$154.6k+US$5.5m+US$41.7m+> US$144m
Exports: 154
- China: US$982.5m
- Germany: US$569.2m
- Switzerland: US$239.3m
- Vietnam: US$144m
- Poland: US$140.2m
- Netherlands: US$138.2m
- India: US$119.9m
- United States: US$110.3m
- Hungary: US$99.8m
- Ireland: US$91.9m
- Sweden: US$87.6m
- Austria: US$61.4m
- Thailand: US$43.4m
- Spain: US$41.7m
- Mexico: US$36.5m
- Belgium: US$34.9m
- Malaysia: US$34.7m
- France: US$30.4m
- Japan: US$27.4m
- Italy: US$26.4m
- Guatemala: US$25.8m
- Czechia: US$24.8m
- South Korea: US$19.5m
- United Kingdom: US$16.2m
- Taiwan: US$13.4m
- Denmark: US$9.2m
- Slovenia: US$8.9m
- Türkiye: US$8.3m
- Greece: US$7.6m
- Russia: US$7.3m
- United Arab Emirates: US$6.8m
- Bulgaria: US$5.7m
- Armenia: US$5.6m
- Indonesia: US$5.5m
- Romania: US$5.4m
- South Africa: US$3.8m
- Lithuania: US$3.8m
- Brazil: US$3.6m
- Colombia: US$3.2m
- Norway: US$3.2m
- Cambodia: US$3.1m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$2.9m
- Singapore: US$2.8m
- Slovakia: US$2.6m
- Canada: US$1.7m
- Finland: US$1.7m
- Estonia: US$1.5m
- Latvia: US$1.2m
- Australia: US$1.1m
- Saudi Arabia: US$967.4k
- Macao SAR China: US$963.1k
- Cyprus: US$884.7k
- Egypt: US$784k
- Portugal: US$726k
- Serbia: US$616.1k
- Pakistan: US$610.3k
- Croatia: US$550.1k
- Argentina: US$511.3k
- Moldova: US$431k
- Fiji: US$397.7k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$2.1mUS$2.1m+US$11.7m+US$39.9m+> US$114.3m
Imports: 215
- Germany: US$458.9m
- United States: US$316.9m
- Netherlands: US$131.8m
- United Kingdom: US$126.7m
- France: US$116.9m
- Poland: US$115.7m
- Hungary: US$114.3m
- Japan: US$113.9m
- Canada: US$79.5m
- South Korea: US$72.4m
- Belgium: US$69.4m
- Australia: US$64.3m
- Spain: US$63.6m
- Italy: US$55.6m
- Brazil: US$54.8m
- China: US$52.9m
- Austria: US$50m
- Czechia: US$49.4m
- Mexico: US$45.8m
- Russia: US$40.5m
- Colombia: US$40m
- Switzerland: US$39.9m
- Vietnam: US$37.1m
- Thailand: US$37m
- United Arab Emirates: US$32.9m
- Philippines: US$32.7m
- Malaysia: US$31.1m
- Chile: US$30.7m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$30.6m
- Taiwan: US$30.5m
- Sweden: US$29.6m
- Saudi Arabia: US$28.1m
- Türkiye: US$25.4m
- Denmark: US$23m
- Peru: US$22.5m
- Norway: US$20.4m
- Slovakia: US$19.6m
- Indonesia: US$19.2m
- Greece: US$18.5m
- Romania: US$16m
- Israel: US$16m
- Kazakhstan: US$15.6m
- Kyrgyzstan: US$15.3m
- Portugal: US$15.1m
- Ireland: US$14.5m
- Singapore: US$14.5m
- Slovenia: US$14.5m
- South Africa: US$14m
- Ukraine: US$13.6m
- Ecuador: US$13.4m
- Bulgaria: US$13.1m
- Finland: US$12.9m
- Argentina: US$12.5m
- Costa Rica: US$11.7m
- India: US$11.3m
- Serbia: US$11.3m
- Iraq: US$10.4m
- Croatia: US$10.1m
- Kuwait: US$9.8m
- Macao SAR China: US$9.3m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$982.5m | 30% |
| 2 | Germany | US$569.2m | 17.4% |
| 3 | Switzerland | US$239.3m | 7.3% |
| 4 |  Vietnam | US$144m | 4.4% |
| 5 |  Poland | US$140.2m | 4.3% |
| 6 |  Netherlands | US$138.2m | 4.2% |
| 7 | India | US$119.9m | 3.7% |
| 8 | United States | US$110.3m | 3.4% |
| 9 | Hungary | US$99.8m | 3% |
| 10 | Ireland | US$91.9m | 2.8% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | US$458.9m | 14% |
| 2 | United States | US$316.9m | 9.7% |
| 3 | Netherlands | US$131.8m | 4% |
| 4 | United Kingdom | US$126.7m | 3.9% |
| 5 |  France | US$116.9m | 3.6% |
| 6 | Poland | US$115.7m | 3.5% |
| 7 | Hungary | US$114.3m | 3.5% |
| 8 |  Japan | US$113.9m | 3.5% |
| 9 |  Canada | US$79.5m | 2.4% |
| 10 |  South Korea | US$72.4m | 2.2% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 5
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.
- N335631 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of an interdental brush set from China.
- N333571 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a fingertip toothbrush from China.
- N329503 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of an oral care kit from China.
- N326484 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a chewable oral brush from Mexico.
- 600012603 HMRC
A pack of 3 bamboo toothbrushes used for cleaning teeth/gums. The toothbrushes are made from 100% biodegradable bamboo and nylon bristles. Made in China. Packed in a card packing.
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.
-
Rules of origin · Applies from: CELEX 22026D0498 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Subheading 9603.21 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is 2%.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 9603.21; the duty is 3.7%.
Goods from 174 countries can enter the UK at a preferential rate instead of the standard 2%; 174 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 toothbrushes worth £105.1m (up 0% on the year before), at an average of £20.32 per kg; Germany supplied 27%, followed by China.
World trade in toothbrushes reached US$3.3bn in 2024, up 3.6% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 30% of the total, ahead of Germany.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for toothbrushes, including dental-plate brushes?
Toothbrushes, including dental-plate brushes fall under HS subheading 9603.21, part of heading 9603, in section XX of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on toothbrushes, including dental-plate brushes in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 9603.21 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 2%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on toothbrushes, including dental-plate brushes in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 9603.21 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 3.7%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most toothbrushes, including dental-plate brushes?
China, with US$982.5m in 2024 (30% of world exports).
Which countries can export toothbrushes 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 2% applies. Pick a country above to see its rate.
Is there anti-dumping duty on toothbrushes?
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 toothbrushes from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were Germany (27%), China (23%) and Sweden (22%), out of total imports of £105.1m.