HS Code 3208Paints, varnishes; (enamels and lacquers) based on synthetic polymers or chemically modified natural polymers, dispersed or dissolved in a non-aqueous medium

What HS code 3208 covers

Think of a can of paint. It has a colour, a binder and a liquid that carries both. The binder is a polymer. The liquid decides which heading the paint falls under. Customs calls this a non-aqueous medium, and most people call the product solvent-based paint.

The heading takes in paints and varnishes. It also takes in enamels and lacquers. The binder must be a synthetic polymer or a chemically modified natural polymer. Both can be dispersed (spread as tiny particles) or dissolved in the liquid.

This heading sits in Chapter 32, next to dyes, pigments and inks. The HSN code 3208 is the same as the HS code at this level, so Indian and global sources agree here.

HS 3208 subcodes: 320810, 320820 and 320890

The split depends on the polymer in the paint. You need to know what the binder is made of before you pick a subcode.

• 320810 is for polyester paints and varnishes. If the binder is a polyester, start here. This is the code behind searches for polyester based paints and varnishes.
• Solvent-based acrylic paint and vinyl paint both land in this subcode.
• 320890 is the catch-all. It holds solvent-based paints and varnishes made with other polymers not named in the first two lines.

HS 3208 vs 3209 vs 3210: picking the right paint code

The answer is the medium. Heading 3209 is for similar paints in an aqueous medium, which means water-based paints. The polymer types are alike, so check the liquid first.

Heading 3210 is the next stop. It holds other paints and varnishes that do not fit 3209, and it includes distempers and prepared water pigments used for finishing leather. If your product is a polymer paint in a solvent, 3210 is not the place to look.

Two nearby headings are easy to mix up with paint. Heading 3212 is for metallic pigments dispersed in non-aqueous media, which are ingredients for making paint. Heading 3214 is for putty, caulking compounds and other mastics. Prepared driers have their own heading too, 3211.

A quick check helps. Ask what the binder is, what the liquid is, and whether the product is finished paint or an ingredient. If you are still unsure, run the product through the HS code classifier.

Other headings in Chapter 32

Paint buyers often source related goods in the same chapter. Printing and writing ink sits in heading 3215. Colouring matter, lakes and prepared pigments sit in the headings between 3203 and 3207. Use the sibling list above to move between them.

HS 3208 import and export data

Knowing the code is step one. The next step is finding who trades under it. Importers and exporters of solvent-based paints file customs records, and those records show who buys and who sells.

EximDataX shows shipment-level import and export records from official customs sources. Coverage: 43 direct customs feeds plus 184 mirror-derived countries. Named buyers and named suppliers are available in 38 of the 43 direct markets. Most markets refresh weekly and some refresh daily.

You can search by HS code to see who imports and exports a product, and book a free demo. Countries often extend 3208 with extra digits for their own use, so the live records show how each market labels its paint shipments.