HS Code 3209Paints and varnishes (including enamels and lacquers) based on synthetic or chemically modified natural polymers, dispersed or dissolved in an aqueous medium

What HS code 3209 covers

Heading 3209 is for paints and varnishes that use water as the carrying liquid. Customs wording calls this an aqueous medium. The base of the product must be a synthetic polymer or a chemically modified natural polymer.

Enamels and lacquers count too, if they pass the same two tests. The base is the right kind of polymer, and the liquid is water-based. Many water-based paints for walls, wood or metal can fit here, once the polymer is confirmed.

The heading belongs to the Harmonized System, the shared customs classification used by trading countries. Each country may add extra digits after the first six for its own use. That is why you may see an HSN code 3209 or an HTS code 3209 with longer numbers behind it.

Duty rates are set by each country, so this page does not list them. To see how a market treats these goods, check the live records for that market.

HS codes under 3209: 320910 and 320990

The choice between the two sub-codes depends only on the polymer in the paint.

Use 320910 when the polymer is acrylic or vinyl. Acrylic polymers and vinyl polymers are the base of many emulsion paints. If you are asking which code fits a water-based acrylic paint, 320910 is the match.

Use 320990 for every other polymer in an aqueous medium. If the base is neither acrylic nor vinyl, this is the code. Ask the maker for the data sheet so you know which polymer is inside before you file.

You can look at each code on its own, for example through paint import data by HS code or paint export data by HS code.

3209 vs 3208 vs 3210: choosing the right heading

Three nearby headings cover paints, so mix-ups are common. Work through the questions below in order.

• Is the product a paint or varnish on a synthetic or chemically modified natural polymer? If yes, look at 3208 and 3209.
• Is the polymer dispersed or dissolved in water? That is 3209. Is it in a non-aqueous medium? That is 3208.
• Does it still not fit? It excludes anything already named in 3209.
• Is it a pigment paste made for paint makers, rather than finished paint? Look at 3212 instead.

Related headings in Chapter 32

If 3209 is not quite right, a neighbour may be. Putty, caulking compounds and other mastics sit in 3214. Tanning, dye and colour-lake headings run from 3201 to 3207, and the remaining paint-related headings are 3211 and 3213.

Not sure where a product lands? Run it through the HS code classifier, then read the code descriptions closely before you decide. You can also browse all HS code chapters.

HS code 3209 import and export data

EximDataX shows shipment-level import and export records from official customs sources. Coverage: 43 direct customs feeds plus 184 mirror-derived countries. Most markets refresh weekly and some refresh daily.

If you sell, buy or source water-based paints, start with the buyers and suppliers behind the shipments. Named buyers and named suppliers are available in 38 of the 43 direct markets. You can search by HS code to see who imports and exports a product, and book a free demo.