Subheading · Chapter 32 · Section VI, Products of the chemical or allied industries

HS 3212 90Pigments (including metallic powders and flakes) dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints (including enamels); stamping foils; dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale: other

Tanning or dyeing extracts; tannins and their derivatives; dyes, pigments and other colouring matter; paints and varnishes; putty and other mastics; inks

Customs duty: 10%; 4 tariff items
GST now: 18%; or 5% for some goods
Import policy: Free
Export policy: Free
Unit: kg
Duty in China: 10%; On Indian goods

Search codes Duty abroadRates as on 19 Oct 2026

Codes under this subheading

4 codes. Duty and GST are set on the 8-digit tariff items; open the one that describes your goods.

Codes under this code
Code	Description	Customs duty	GST now	Unit
3212 90 10	Pigments in linseed oil, white spirit, spirit of turpentine, varnish and other paints or enamel media not elsewhere specified or included	10%	18%	kg
3212 90 20	Dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale	10%	18%	kg
3212 90 30	Aluminium paste	10%	18%	kg
3212 90 90	Other	10%	18%	kg

Importing into India

Duty is set on each 8-digit tariff item: open one of the codes above. Basic customs duty across its 4 tariff items: 10%. The rules below cover this whole code.

Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duty in force

Anti-dumping duty on goods from China: USD 396.99–738.73 per tonne, by origin and producer (until 20 Dec 2026). Silicone Sealants excluding silicon sealants used in manufacturing of solar photovoltaic modules, and thermal power applications. 74/2021-ADD

Charged on top of the duty above, only on goods from the countries named.

Import policy (DGFT ITC(HS)) of its tariff items

Free: 4 tariff items

GST

IGST on imports is the GST rate. Rates changed on 22 September 2025.

Now 18%, or 5% for some goods.
Until 21 September 2025 18%, or 5% for some goods.
Change: Unchanged.

The rules that set it now

GST rate rules in force
Notification	Goods	Rate
9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule II, S.No. 54	Pigments (including metallic powders and flakes) dispersed in non- aqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints (including enamels); stamping foils; dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale	18%
9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)Schedule I, S.No. 242	Wattle extract, quebracho extract, chestnut extract	5%

History

GST rate history
Period	Rate	Notification
Until 21 Sep 2025	5% or 18%	1/2017-Central Tax (Rate)
From 22 Sep 2025	5% or 18%	9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate)

Exporting from India

Export duty

Nil. The Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act does not list these goods, so no export duty is charged.

Duty drawback (All Industry Rates)

All Industry Rates of duty drawback under this heading
Drawback item	Goods	Rate	Cap
3212	Pigments (including metallic powders and flakes) dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints (including enamels); stamping foils; dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale	1.2%	—

Drawback items follow the 4-digit heading, not the 8-digit code: claim the one that describes your goods. Rates of notification 77/2023-Customs (N.T.) as amended, in force on 19 Oct 2026.

Export policy (DGFT ITC(HS) Schedule 2) of its tariff items

Free: 4 tariff items

What buyers pay abroad: import duty in the US, UK, EU and Australia for 3212 90, and China's below.

China: the same goods (3212 90)

China shares the first 6 digits with India and splits them into 10-digit codes of its own: 2 in force and 1 expired under 3212 90. Exporters see what China charges Indian goods; importers see the rebate and licences their Chinese supplier deals with.

China's tariff for these goods
China code	Goods	Duty on Indian goods	MFN	Import VAT	Export rebate	Licences
3212.90.00.10	Phthalocyanine pigments, in retail forms or packings零售形状及零售包装的酞菁类颜料	10%MFN rate (no APTA concession on this line)	10%	13%	0%	None
3212.90.00.90	Pigments (including metallic powders or flakes) for making paints (including enamels), dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form制造油漆(含瓷漆)用的颜料(包括金属粉末或金属粉片),分散于非水介质中呈液状或浆状的	10%MFN rate (no APTA concession on this line)	10%	13%	0%	None

India is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA). With an APTA certificate of origin, Indian goods pay China's APTA rate where the line has one; China applies the lower of that and its provisional rate.
The export VAT rebate is what China refunds its own exporters. When China cuts it, Chinese export prices tend to rise.

Every Chinese code in full

3212.90.00Pigments for the manufacture of paints (including enamels); dyes and other colouring matter, in retail forms or packings

3212.90.00.10Phthalocyanine pigments, in retail forms or packings零售形状及零售包装的酞菁类颜料

Unit: kg
MFN import duty: 10%
Provisional import duty: None
General import duty: 50%
Import VAT: 13%
Consumption tax: 0%
Export duty: 0%
Provisional export duty: 0%
Export VAT rebate: 0%
Updated by China: 7 Sep 2026

Licences and certificates

None.

Inspection and quarantine

None.

What the customs declaration must state

0.Brand type品牌类型
1.Export preferential status出口享惠情况
2.Ingredient content成分含量
3.Use用途
4.Packing specifications包装规格
5.Appearance外观
6.Brand (Chinese or foreign names)品牌(中文或外文名称)
7.GTIN
8.CAS
9.Other其他

China's agreement rates

ASEAN: 0%
Chile: 0%
Pakistan: 1.5%
New Zealand: 0%
Peru: 0%
Costa Rica: 0%
Switzerland: 0%
Iceland: 0%
Australia: 0%
South Korea: 0%
Georgia: 0%
Mauritius: 0%
Maldives: 0%
Cambodia: 0%
Nicaragua: 7%
Ecuador: 8.2%
Serbia: 4%
Hong Kong: 0%
Macao: 0%

RCEP rates

Australia: 5%
Brunei: 5%
Cambodia: 5%
South Korea: 5%
Laos: 5%
Malaysia: 5%
New Zealand: 6%
Singapore: 5%
Thailand: 5%
Vietnam: 5%
Japan: 5.5%
Indonesia: 5%
Philippines: 5%
Myanmar: 5%

CIQ codes

3212900010301Phthalocyanine pigments, in retail forms and packings (hazardous chemicals, flammable liquids)零售形状及零售包装的酞菁类颜料(危险化学品,易燃液体)
3212900010302Phthalocyanine pigments, in retail forms or packings零售形状及零售包装的酞菁类颜料(其他化工品)

3212.90.00.90Pigments (including metallic powders or flakes) for making paints (including enamels), dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form制造油漆(含瓷漆)用的颜料(包括金属粉末或金属粉片),分散于非水介质中呈液状或浆状的

Other dyes or other colouring matter in retail forms and retail packings其他零售形状及零售包装的染料或其他着色料

Unit: kg
MFN import duty: 10%
Provisional import duty: None
General import duty: 50%
Import VAT: 13%
Consumption tax: 0%
Export duty: 0%
Provisional export duty: 0%
Export VAT rebate: 0%
Updated by China: 7 Sep 2026

Licences and certificates

None.

Inspection and quarantine

None.

What the customs declaration must state

0.Brand type品牌类型
1.Export preferential status出口享惠情况
2.Ingredient content成分含量
3.Use用途
4.Packing specifications包装规格
5.Appearance外观
6.Brand (Chinese or foreign names)品牌(中文或外文名称)
7.GTIN
8.CAS
9.Other其他

China's agreement rates

ASEAN: 0%
Chile: 0%
Pakistan: 1.5%
New Zealand: 0%
Peru: 0%
Costa Rica: 0%
Switzerland: 0%
Iceland: 0%
Australia: 0%
South Korea: 0%
Georgia: 0%
Mauritius: 0%
Maldives: 0%
Cambodia: 0%
Nicaragua: 7%
Ecuador: 8.2%
Serbia: 4%
Hong Kong: 0%
Macao: 0%

RCEP rates

Australia: 5%
Brunei: 5%
Cambodia: 5%
South Korea: 5%
Laos: 5%
Malaysia: 5%
New Zealand: 6%
Singapore: 5%
Thailand: 5%
Vietnam: 5%
Japan: 5.5%
Indonesia: 5%
Philippines: 5%
Myanmar: 5%

CIQ codes

3212900090301Pigments (including metallic powders and flakes) for the manufacture of paints (including enamels), dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form (other retail forms and retail packages of dyes or other coloring matter) (hazardous chemicals, flammable liquids)制造油漆(含瓷漆)用的颜料(包括金属粉末或金属粉片),分散于非水介质中呈液状或浆状的(其他零售形状及零售包装的染料或其他着色料)(危险化学品,易燃液体)
3212900090302Pigments (including metallic powders or flakes) for the manufacture of paints (including enamels), dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form (other dyes or other coloring matter in retail forms and retail packages) (other chemicals)制造油漆(含瓷漆)用的颜料(包括金属粉末或金属粉片),分散于非水介质中呈液状或浆状的(其他零售形状及零售包装的染料或其他着色料)(其他化工品)

3212.90.00.00Pigments for paint and dyes, colorants in retail packings制漆用颜料及零售包装染料、色料Expired

Pigments for paint, being liquid or paste in non-aqueous media制漆用颜料指溶于非水介质中呈液状或浆状的

Unit: kg
MFN import duty: 10%
Provisional import duty: None
General import duty: 50%
Import VAT: 13%
Consumption tax: None
Export duty: 0%
Provisional export duty: None
Export VAT rebate: 0%
Updated by China: 7 Sep 2026

Licences and certificates

None.

Inspection and quarantine

None.

What the customs declaration must state

0.Brand type品牌类型
1.Export preferential status出口享惠情况
2.Ingredient content成分含量
3.Use用途
4.Packing specifications包装规格
5.Appearance外观
6.Brand (Chinese or foreign names)品牌(中文或外文名称)
7.GTIN
8.CAS
9.Other其他

China's agreement rates

ASEAN: 0%
Chile: 0%
Pakistan: 3.5%
New Zealand: 0%
Peru: 0%
Costa Rica: 0%
Switzerland: 0%
Iceland: 0%
Australia: 0%
South Korea: 2%
Georgia: 0%
Mauritius: 0%

RCEP rates

Australia: 9%
Brunei: 9%
Cambodia: 9%
Laos: 9%
Malaysia: 9%
New Zealand: 9%
Singapore: 9%
Thailand: 9%
Vietnam: 9%
Japan: 9.1%

CIQ codes

3212900000301Pigments for paints and dyes, colorants in retail packages (hazardous chemicals, flammable liquids)制漆用颜料及零售包装染料、色料(危险化学品,易燃液体)
3212900000302Pigments for paint and dyes, colourings in retail packings (other chemical products)制漆用颜料及零售包装染料、色料(其他化工品)
3212900000998Pigments for paint and dyes, colorants in retail packings (pigments for paint means liquid or paste in non-aqueous medium) (other dangerous chemicals)制漆用颜料及零售包装染料、色料(制漆用颜料指溶于非水介质中呈液状或浆状的)(其他危险化学品)
3212900000999Pigments for paint and dyes, colorants in retail packings (pigments for paint refer to liquid or paste dissolved in non-aqueous medium) (other chemical products)制漆用颜料及零售包装染料、色料(制漆用颜料指溶于非水介质中呈液状或浆状的)(其他化工产品)

China's tariff as compiled by HS编码网 from China Customs, the State Council Tariff Commission and the State Taxation Administration. The Chinese is the original.

Nearby codes

Previous3210 00Other paints and varnishes (including enamels, lacquers and distempers); prepared water pigments of a kind used for finishing leather One level up3212Pigments (including metallic powders and flakes) dispersed in non-aqueous media, in liquid or paste form, of a kind used in the manufacture of paints (including enamels); stamping foils; dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale Next3214 90Other

Sources

GSTN HSN code masterChecked 13 Oct 2026
DGFT ITC(HS) import and export policyChecked 9 Oct 2026
GST rate per HSN (archived GSTZen extract)Checked 29 Sep 2026
Customs Tariff of India (First Schedule): sections, chapters, notes and statutory BCDChecked 19 Oct 2026
GST rates on goods, before and after 22 September 2025Checked 18 Oct 2026
BIS compulsory certification: products and Quality Control OrdersChecked 18 Oct 2026
Anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties in force (India)Checked 19 Oct 2026
India's export duty (Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act and notifications 27/2011, 55/2022, 22/2024)Checked 18 Oct 2026
India's All Industry Rates of duty drawback (notification 77/2023-Customs (N.T.))Checked 19 Oct 2026
China customs tariff (HS编码网)Checked 19 Oct 2026

For information, not a customs ruling. Only notifications published in the Gazette have legal force; confirm the duty with your customs broker or ICEGATE before you price a deal.