Subheading · Chapter 96 · Heading 9608
9608.20: Felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers
Felt-tip pens and markers
9608.20 is the HS subheading for felt-tip pens and markers, under heading 9608 in chapter 96.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 9608 20 00 00 Felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers 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 2
- Import controlRestriction on entry into free circulation
- Applies to goods from
- Ukraine
- Legal act
- S.I. 2022/395
- Documents
- 9009
- 9010
- 9017
- Import controlImport control - CITES
- Applies to goods from
- all countries
- Legal act
- 2021 No. 54
- Documents
- C400 Presentation of the required "CITES" certificate
- Y900 Declared goods do not belong to the Washington Convention (CITES)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
 China | £41.2m | 54.5% | -6.3% |
 Germany | £10.2m | 13.4% | -7.8% |
 United States | £5m | 6.6% | -26.1% |
 Japan | £4.8m | 6.3% | -39.8% |
 Italy | £2.8m | 3.7% | -2.4% |
 Czechia | £2.1m | 2.8% | -46.2% |
 Vietnam | £2m | 2.7% | +6.3% |
 Malaysia | £1.6m | 2.1% | -27.2% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU
TürkiyeWorld trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$60kUS$60k+US$2m+US$21m+> US$139m
Exports: 156
- China: US$1bn
- Germany: US$266m
- Japan: US$213m
- United States: US$183m
- Mexico: US$139m
- France: US$88m
- Italy: US$56m
- Czechia: US$56m
- Malaysia: US$54m
- Vietnam: US$47m
- India: US$42m
- Netherlands: US$41m
- South Korea: US$24m
- Poland: US$21m
- Tunisia: US$16m
- Slovakia: US$16m
- Austria: US$16m
- United Kingdom: US$13m
- Thailand: US$12m
- Taiwan: US$12m
- Spain: US$12m
- Peru: US$11m
- South Africa: US$8m
- Belgium: US$7m
- Denmark: US$6m
- Indonesia: US$6m
- Canada: US$5m
- Hungary: US$4m
- Colombia: US$4m
- Sweden: US$4m
- Singapore: US$4m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$3m
- Slovenia: US$2m
- Türkiye: US$2m
- Russia: US$2m
- Brazil: US$1m
- Switzerland: US$1m
- Latvia: US$1m
- Kazakhstan: US$1m
- Australia: US$1m
- Greece: US$908k
- Ireland: US$845k
- Estonia: US$835k
- United Arab Emirates: US$784k
- Portugal: US$782k
- Bulgaria: US$722k
- Croatia: US$720k
- Romania: US$693k
- Fiji: US$591k
- Lithuania: US$553k
- Guatemala: US$537k
- Serbia: US$489k
- Finland: US$464k
- Chile: US$442k
- El Salvador: US$439k
- Pakistan: US$354k
- Dominican Republic: US$338k
- New Zealand: US$266k
- Egypt: US$235k
- Ukraine: US$189k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$889kUS$889k+US$8m+US$25m+> US$70m
Imports: 219
- United States: US$440m
- France: US$182m
- Mexico: US$158m
- Germany: US$122m
- United Kingdom: US$103m
- Netherlands: US$78m
- Canada: US$70m
- Spain: US$66m
- Poland: US$57m
- Vietnam: US$56m
- Australia: US$49m
- Czechia: US$47m
- Russia: US$46m
- Italy: US$44m
- Slovakia: US$40m
- Brazil: US$38m
- Japan: US$38m
- Türkiye: US$36m
- Belgium: US$31m
- Austria: US$30m
- United Arab Emirates: US$27m
- China: US$25m
- Thailand: US$24m
- Peru: US$24m
- South Korea: US$23m
- Switzerland: US$22m
- Philippines: US$21m
- Kazakhstan: US$18m
- Denmark: US$17m
- Colombia: US$17m
- Saudi Arabia: US$16m
- Sweden: US$16m
- Indonesia: US$16m
- Greece: US$15m
- Chile: US$15m
- Israel: US$15m
- Singapore: US$15m
- Romania: US$14m
- Malaysia: US$12m
- Kyrgyzstan: US$12m
- Ireland: US$11m
- Taiwan: US$11m
- Iraq: US$11m
- Ecuador: US$10m
- Hungary: US$10m
- South Africa: US$9m
- Argentina: US$9m
- India: US$9m
- Guatemala: US$9m
- Algeria: US$9m
- Venezuela: US$8m
- Belarus: US$8m
- Finland: US$8m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$8m
- Portugal: US$8m
- New Zealand: US$7m
- Ukraine: US$7m
- Bolivia: US$7m
- Panama: US$6m
- Morocco: US$6m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$1bn | 41.9% |
| 2 | Germany | US$266m | 10.9% |
| 3 | Japan | US$213m | 8.8% |
| 4 | United States | US$183m | 7.5% |
| 5 |  Mexico | US$139m | 5.7% |
| 6 |  France | US$88m | 3.6% |
| 7 | Italy | US$56m | 2.3% |
| 8 | Czechia | US$56m | 2.3% |
| 9 | Malaysia | US$54m | 2.2% |
| 10 | Vietnam | US$47m | 1.9% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$440m | 18.1% |
| 2 | France | US$182m | 7.5% |
| 3 | Mexico | US$158m | 6.5% |
| 4 | Germany | US$122m | 5% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | US$103m | 4.2% |
| 6 |  Netherlands | US$78m | 3.2% |
| 7 |  Canada | US$70m | 2.9% |
| 8 |  Spain | US$66m | 2.7% |
| 9 |  Poland | US$57m | 2.4% |
| 10 | Vietnam | US$56m | 2.3% |
Binding rulings for similar goods 24
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.
- N361665 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a pumpkin decorating kit from China
- H317395 U.S. CBP
Affirmation of NY N312428; tariff classification of a coin purse and school supplies from China
- N341495 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of an educational kit from China.
- N341528 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a utility kit from China.
- H328405 U.S. CBP
Affirmation of NY N301425; Classification of Felt Tipped Markers for Temporary Tattoos
- N324875 U.S. CBP
The tariff classification of a child’s activity kit from China
- 600014915 HMRC
Create your own keychains set. The set includes 6 pre-cut shaped wood pulp canvases with pre drawn stylised food on them, 6 iron keychains of different colours, 4 dual-ended porous felt tip marker pens, 2 small plastic pipettes and a sheet of wood pulp, perforated into 6 blank canvases. The user…
- 600013905 HMRC
Product is a pack of 4 permanent markers. This pack contains 2 black,1 blue and 1 red permanent marker. These markers have a porous fibre bullet tip.
- 600013906 HMRC
Product is a pack of 6 fine liner pens. This pack contains 1 purple, 1 pink, 1 red, 1 orange, 1 black and 1 green fine liners. These pens have a porous fibre tip.
- 600013907 HMRC
Product is a pack of 5 highlighter pens. This pack contains 1 blue, 1 orange, 1 yellow, 1 green and 1 pink highlighters. These markers have a porous fibre chisel tip.
- 600014026 HMRC
Felt tip pens. A packet of 20 bullet tip felt tip pens containing an assortment of colours. The pens are made made of Polypropylene (PP) and are packaged in a clear plastic bag with card insert.
- 600012671 HMRC
A water art sticker set. The set comprises of 10 marker pens, a porcelain spoon, 2 plastic stencil sheets and 40 sticker sheets. The pens are designed for creating art on the ceramic spoon using the stencil or free hand, the user then places the spoon in water allowing the design to float off of…
24 rulings in total for this code
Subheading 9608.20 is a single line in the UK Global Tariff, where the duty is 2%.
The EU Combined Nomenclature has one tariff line for subheading 9608.20; 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 felt-tip pens and markers worth £75.6m (down 14% on the year before), at an average of £6.77 per kg; China supplied 55%, followed by Germany.
World trade in felt-tip pens and markers reached US$2bn in 2024, up 1.6% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 41.9% of the total, ahead of Germany.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers?
Felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers fall under HS subheading 9608.20, part of heading 9608, in section XX of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 9608.20 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 felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 9608.20 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 felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and…?
China, with US$1bn in 2024 (41.9% of world exports).
Which countries can export felt-tip pens and markers 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 felt-tip pens and markers?
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 felt-tip pens and markers from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were China (55%), Germany (13%) and United States (7%), out of total imports of £75.6m.