HTS Chapter 32: Tanning or dyeing extracts; dyes, pigments, paints, varnishes, inks
HTS Chapter 32 covers Tanning or dyeing extracts; dyes, pigments, paints, varnishes, inks. Browse 11 published headings, then narrow to the active product line that matches the goods.
2026 HTS Rev 19 Synced Rules verified Operational
Written to help non-specialists understand this page. Rates, dates, and legal facts come from the official records above and on the linked source.
HTS Chapter 32 generally covers tanning substances, dyes and other coloring matter, pigments, paints, varnishes, inks, ceramic and glass colors, artists’ colors, and various putties, mastics, and surfacing preparations. The correct heading often depends on the product’s chemical composition, whether it is natural or synthetic, the medium in which it is dispersed or dissolved, its intended industry or use, and how it is packaged.
The HTS is organized from broad to specific: chapter, heading, subheading, and finally the full 10-digit statistical classification. Start with the product’s ingredients, physical form, preparation, packaging, and principal use. Compare the relevant heading texts and chapter and section notes, then continue through the subheadings until the description precisely matches. Confirm exclusions and any applicable Chapter 99 provisions using current official HTS information; difficult chemical classifications may require a customs broker or a binding ruling from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
What to check
- Identify the product’s composition, including pigments, binders, solvents, resins, tanning agents, and other additives; obtain the safety data sheet and technical specifications.
- Check whether the product is natural, synthetic, chemically modified, aqueous, nonaqueous, solid, liquid, paste, or prepared for retail sale, because these distinctions can change the classification.
- Read the legal notes and exclusions for Chapter 32 and nearby chapters before selecting a heading; do not classify solely by a marketing name or color description.
- Verify the complete 10-digit HTS code, unit of quantity, and current statistical reporting requirements in the official HTS, and check whether additional Chapter 99 measures apply.
- Seek customs-broker or CBP guidance when the product has multiple uses, a complex mixture, or an uncertain chemical identity.
How to use this chapter
A chapter is the first classification level, not a duty rate. Choose the heading that describes the product, narrow by material, construction, use, or other legal distinctions, and verify the final line against the official HTS notes.
Heading list
| HTS code | Description | Linked 8-digit entries |
|---|---|---|
| 3201 | Tanning extracts of vegetable origin; tannins and their salts, ethers, esters and other derivatives: | 0 |
| 3202 | Synthetic organic tanning substances; inorganic tanning substances; tanning preparations, whether or not containing natural tanning substances; enzymatic preparations for pre-tanning: | 0 |
| 3204 | Synthetic organic coloring matter, whether or not chemically defined; preparations as specified in note 3 to this chapter based on synthetic organic coloring matter; synthetic organic products of a kind used as fluorescent brightening agents or as luminophores, whether or not chemically defined: | 0 |
| 3206 | Other coloring matter; preparations as specified in note 3 to this chapter, other than those of heading 3203, 3204 or 3205; inorganic products of a kind used as luminophores, whether or not chemically defined: | 1 |
| 3207 | Prepared pigments, prepared opacifiers and prepared colors, vitrifiable enamels and glazes, engobes (slips), liquid lustres and similar preparations, of a kind used in the ceramic, enamelling or glass industry; glass frit and other glass, in the form of powder, granules or flakes: | 0 |
| 3208 | Paints and varnishes (including enamels and lacquers) based on synthetic polymers or chemically modified natural polymers, dispersed or dissolved in a nonaqueous medium; solutions as defined in note 4 to this chapter: | 0 |
| 3209 | Paints and varnishes (including enamels and lacquers) based on synthetic polymers or chemically modified natural polymers, dispersed or dissolved in an aqueous medium: | 0 |
| 3212 | Pigments (including metallic powders and flakes) dispersed in nonaqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints (including enamels); stamping foils; dyes and other coloring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale: | 1 |
| 3213 | Artists', students' or signboard painters' colors, modifying tints, amusement colors and the like, in tablets, tubes, jars, bottles, pans or in similar forms or packings: | 0 |
| 3214 | Glaziers' putty, grafting putty, resin cements, caulking compounds and other mastics; painters' fillings; nonrefractory surfacing preparations for facades, indoor walls, floors, ceilings or the like: | 1 |
| 3215 | Printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other inks, whether or not concentrated or solid: | 0 |
Linked measures
0 linked measure entries in the current snapshot.
Questions about HTS Chapter 32
What does HTS Chapter 32 cover?
HTS Chapter 32 covers Tanning or dyeing extracts; dyes, pigments, paints, varnishes, inks. This page groups the chapter’s 4-digit headings; a shipment still needs the most specific active 8- or 10-digit line supported by the product facts.
Is HTS Chapter 32 a final product classification?
No. A chapter is a broad 2-digit category. Narrow it to the applicable heading and the most specific active statistical line before estimating duty or filing an entry.