Subheading · Chapter 96 · Heading 9609
9609.20: Pencil leads, black or coloured
Subheading 9609.20 belongs to heading 9609 (pencils (other than pencils of heading 9608), crayons, pencil leads, pastels…) in chapter 96.
What you pay
Importing into UK
Rates by national line · UK Global Tariff
UK lines →- 9609 20 00 00 Pencil leads, black or coloured 2%
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
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–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–XC agreement | XC | Free |
| UK–Kosovo agreement | Kosovo | Free |
| UK–XL agreement | XL | Free |
| UK–South Africa agreement | South Africa | Free |
UK: imports by month
Main suppliers, last 12 months
| Country | Value | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
 China | £595k | 70.5% | -40.7% |
 Japan | £47k | 5.5% | +38.8% |
 Germany | £46k | 5.5% | +66.3% |
 Czechia | £43k | 5.1% | +68% |
 Thailand | £32k | 3.8% | -22.5% |
 Indonesia | £20k | 2.4% | -0.4% |
 Poland | £18k | 2.2% | -77.2% |
 United States | £12k | 1.4% | +9.8% |
Same subheading in other tariffs
EU 2.7% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Türkiye 60% Statutory rate (Law 474) 1 tariff line USA Free General (MFN) 2 tariff lines The Turkish schedule prints the statutory rate set under Customs Law 474. The rate applied at import is laid down in the Import Regime Decision and can be lower, or different by country of origin.
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$25.2kUS$25.2k+US$328.4k+US$913.2k+> US$8.4m
Exports: 101
- China: US$38.2m
- Japan: US$13.1m
- Germany: US$8.4m
- France: US$5.9m
- Vietnam: US$2.5m
- Czechia: US$2.3m
- South Korea: US$2m
- Indonesia: US$1.5m
- Romania: US$913.2k
- United States: US$800.2k
- Sweden: US$787.4k
- Mexico: US$786.4k
- Slovakia: US$784.8k
- Taiwan: US$758k
- Brazil: US$673k
- Thailand: US$658.6k
- Poland: US$634.7k
- Austria: US$540.3k
- Spain: US$384.9k
- Malaysia: US$351k
- Italy: US$328.4k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$326k
- Singapore: US$295k
- South Africa: US$292.9k
- India: US$287k
- United Kingdom: US$260.4k
- Denmark: US$258.9k
- Netherlands: US$233.2k
- Switzerland: US$196.9k
- Saudi Arabia: US$192.9k
- Slovenia: US$143.7k
- Türkiye: US$120.8k
- Norway: US$116.7k
- Belgium: US$114.5k
- United Arab Emirates: US$99.4k
- Hungary: US$80.1k
- Estonia: US$66.9k
- Albania: US$59.6k
- Australia: US$50.6k
- Lithuania: US$29.8k
- Sri Lanka: US$29k
- Serbia: US$25.2k
- Mauritius: US$23k
- Egypt: US$22.9k
- Croatia: US$22.1k
- Latvia: US$21.5k
- Dominican Republic: US$13.9k
- Greece: US$13.2k
- Russia: US$11.1k
- Panama: US$9.7k
- Finland: US$9.4k
- Portugal: US$8.9k
- Canada: US$8.6k
- Guatemala: US$7.8k
- Bulgaria: US$7.7k
- Ecuador: US$6.2k
- New Zealand: US$5.2k
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$4.9k
- Ireland: US$4.9k
- Peru: US$4.9k
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$52.3kUS$52.3k+US$318.8k+US$1.3m+> US$4.2m
Imports: 185
- United States: US$7.7m
- Vietnam: US$6m
- Mexico: US$5.8m
- Türkiye: US$5.7m
- Germany: US$4.2m
- Japan: US$4.2m
- Saudi Arabia: US$4m
- China: US$3.8m
- India: US$3.3m
- France: US$2.8m
- United Kingdom: US$2m
- Canada: US$2m
- South Korea: US$1.9m
- United Arab Emirates: US$1.8m
- Sweden: US$1.8m
- Taiwan: US$1.6m
- Indonesia: US$1.6m
- Thailand: US$1.3m
- Brazil: US$1.2m
- Iran: US$1.1m
- Poland: US$967k
- Netherlands: US$920.5k
- Italy: US$866.1k
- Israel: US$720.1k
- Slovakia: US$710.7k
- Pakistan: US$700.2k
- Egypt: US$689k
- Austria: US$667k
- Malaysia: US$662.8k
- Russia: US$650.6k
- Australia: US$637.8k
- Belgium: US$602.1k
- Spain: US$600.9k
- Romania: US$598.8k
- Switzerland: US$562.3k
- Norway: US$545.8k
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$523.4k
- Singapore: US$473.4k
- Czechia: US$452.5k
- Denmark: US$434.2k
- Finland: US$387.7k
- Myanmar (Burma): US$340.5k
- Chile: US$338.4k
- South Africa: US$334.9k
- Croatia: US$318.8k
- North Korea: US$304.4k
- Slovenia: US$294.9k
- Iraq: US$294.5k
- Philippines: US$258.3k
- Peru: US$224.8k
- Greece: US$224k
- Ireland: US$211.7k
- Seychelles: US$210.4k
- Fiji: US$209k
- Hungary: US$199k
- Portugal: US$195.2k
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: US$183.3k
- Serbia: US$170.9k
- Nigeria: US$156.4k
- Bahrain: US$153.2k
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | US$38.2m | 44.5% |
| 2 | Japan | US$13.1m | 15.2% |
| 3 | Germany | US$8.4m | 9.8% |
| 4 |  France | US$5.9m | 6.8% |
| 5 |  Vietnam | US$2.5m | 3% |
| 6 | Czechia | US$2.3m | 2.6% |
| 7 |  South Korea | US$2m | 2.3% |
| 8 | Indonesia | US$1.5m | 1.8% |
| 9 |  Romania | US$913.2k | 1.1% |
| 10 | United States | US$800.2k | 0.9% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$7.7m | 9% |
| 2 | Vietnam | US$6m | 7% |
| 3 |  Mexico | US$5.8m | 6.7% |
| 4 | Türkiye | US$5.7m | 6.7% |
| 5 | Germany | US$4.2m | 4.9% |
| 6 | Japan | US$4.2m | 4.9% |
| 7 |  Saudi Arabia | US$4m | 4.6% |
| 8 | China | US$3.8m | 4.5% |
| 9 |  India | US$3.3m | 3.8% |
| 10 | France | US$2.8m | 3.3% |
The UK Global Tariff has one tariff line for subheading 9609.20; the duty is 2%.
Subheading 9609.20 is a single line in the EU Combined Nomenclature, where the duty is 2.7%.
175 countries pay no duty in the UK thanks to trade agreements and preference schemes such as DCTS Comprehensive and European Union, against a standard rate of 2%.
Imports of these goods into the UK came to £842.7k between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 36% on the year before); China supplied 71%, followed by Japan.
In 2024, countries exported these goods worth US$85.7m (−13.6% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$38.2m), followed by Japan.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for pencil leads, black or coloured?
Pencil leads, black or coloured fall under HS subheading 9609.20, part of heading 9609, in section XX of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on pencil leads, black or coloured in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 9609.20 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 pencil leads, black or coloured in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 9609.20 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 2.7%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most pencil leads, black or coloured?
China, with US$38.2m in 2024 (44.5% of world exports).
Which countries can export these goods to the UK duty-free?
175 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.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the largest suppliers were China (71%), Japan (6%) and Germany (6%), out of total imports of £842.7k.