UK Global Tariff · commodity code · HS 9608.20
9608 20 00 00: Felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers
Felt-tip pens and markers
✓ Can be used in a customs declaration Data: UK Global Tariff · checked on 24 October 2026
- 9608 Ballpoint pens; felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers; fountain pens, stylograph pens and other pens; duplicating stylos; propelling or sliding pencils; pen-holders, pencil-holders and similar holders; parts (including caps and clips) of the foregoing articles, other than those of heading 9609
- 9608 20 00 00 Felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers
What you pay
Importing into UK
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
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 |
Footnotes
TN701 According to the Council Regulation (EU) No 692/2014 (OJ L183, p. 9), as retained in UK La…
The prohibition shall not apply in respect of:
(a) the execution until 26 September 2014, of trade contracts concluded before 25 June 2014, or of ancillary contracts necessary for the execution of such contracts, provided that the natural or legal persons, entity or body seeking to perform the contract have notified, at least 10 working days in advance, the activity or transaction to the competent authority of the Member State in which they are established.
(b) goods originating in Crimea or Sevastopol which have been made available to the Ukrainian authorities for examination, for which compliance with the conditions conferring entitlement to preferential origin has been verified and for which a certificate of origin has been issued in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 and Regulation (EU) No 374/2014, as retained in UK Law, or in accordance with the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement
UK: imports by month · HS 9608.20
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
9608.20 Felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers
EU 3.7% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Türkiye 3.7% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines USA 4% General (MFN) 1 tariff line 
Canada 7% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
Mexico 15% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Brazil 16.2% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Argentina 35% Third-country duty 12 tariff lines 
Peru 6% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
New Zealand 5% Third-country duty 1 tariff line Japan 3.9% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Taiwan 3.4% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Switzerland Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Norway Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
North Macedonia 15% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Nigeria 20% Third-country duty 1 tariff line Binding rulings for similar goods
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.
- 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…
- 600009454 HMRC
A set of 12 coloured felt tip marker pens. The pens are designed for creating art on the ceramic spoon that is provided, then twisting the spoon in water to allow the design made to float. Packaged in a paper envelope and a card box.
- 600009196 HMRC
A multipack of double ended colouring pens. Each pen has 2 tips, a felt tip and a fine liner tip. They come in a pack of 8 pens, each pen is 16cm long. Packaged in packs of 10 in a coloured box.
Legal notes
Commodity code 9608 20 00 00 is a line of the UK Global Tariff under HS subheading 9608.20 (felt-tipped and other porous-tipped pens and markers).
The third-country duty is 2%, and quantities are declared in p/st.
174 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%.
In the UK, additional duty of 35% applies on top of the customs duty to goods from Belarus and Russia.
Imports of felt-tip pens and markers (HS 9608.20) into the UK came to £75.6m between September 2025 and August 2026 (down 14% on the year before); China supplied 55%, followed by Germany.
For the same subheading, the EU duty is 3.7%, the Türkiye duty is 3.7%, the US duty is 4%, the Canada duty is 7%, the Mexico duty is 15%, the Brazil duty is 16.2%, the Argentina duty is 35%, the Peru duty is 6%, the New Zealand duty is 5%, the Japan duty is 3.9%, the Taiwan duty is 3.4%, the GCC duty is 5%, the Switzerland duty is free, the Norway duty is free, the North Macedonia duty is 15% and the Nigeria duty is 20%.
The UK imported goods of subheading 9608.20 worth US$103m in 2024; the largest supplier was China.
Questions and answers
What is the UK import duty for commodity code 9608 20 00 00?
The third-country duty in the UK Global Tariff is 2%; the supplementary unit is p/st. Preferential rates for goods from agreement countries, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which countries get a lower rate on 9608 20 00 00?
174 countries have a preferential rate on this line, 174 of them at 0%, under DCTS Comprehensive, European Union and DCTS Enhanced and other arrangements. The rate applies only to goods that meet the rules of origin of the agreement, with proof of origin. Choose the country of origin on this page to see its rate.
Do anti-dumping or other extra duties apply to 9608 20 00 00?
Additional duty of 35% on goods from Belarus and Russia. These are charged on top of the customs duty.
Where does the UK import these goods from?
For subheading 9608.20 as a whole, the largest supplier in 2024 was China (US$43m), followed by Germany.