3203 00 90 — Dyes of animal origin, incl. dye extracts but excl. animal black, whether or not chemically defined; preparations based on dyes of animal origin of a kind used to dye fabrics or produce colorant preparations (excl. preparations of heading 3207, 3208, 3209, 3210, 3213 and 3215)

3203 Coloring substances of vegetable or animal origin (including coloring extracts other than animal charcoal), of definite or indefinite chemical composition; preparations made from dyes of vegetable or animal origin, as specified in note 3 to this chapter

This heading covers most of the products of vegetable or animal origin used primarily as colouring matter. These products are generally extracted from materials of vegetable origin (woods, barks, roots, seeds, flowers, lichens, etc.) or of animal origin by steeping them in water or in a weak acid solution or an ammonia solution, or, in the case of certain vegetable materials, by fermentation. They are relatively complex materials and usually contain one or more principal colouring substances together with small quantities of other substances (sugars, tannins, etc.) either derived from the raw materials or formed during the extraction process. They are classified in this heading whether or not they are chemically defined compounds. The heading includes: (1) Colouring matter and dye extracts of vegetable origin, obtained from logwood (haematein, haematoxylin, etc.), yellow wood (fustic, young fustic, Cuba, Tampico, etc.), redwood (Pernambuco, Lima, brazilwood, etc.), sandalwood, quercitron, acacia catechu, annatto, madder, alkanet, henna, turmeric, dyer's buckthorn, safflower, saffron, etc. The heading also includes orchil and litmus obtained from certain lichens; oenin from the skins of various varieties of grapes; chlorophyll extracted from nettles and other plants, and also sodium chlorophyll, copper chlorophyll and xanthophyll; imitation Vandyke brown prepared by the partial decomposition of vegetable material such as beech bark or cork; natural indigo, obtained from plants of the genus Indigofera (mainly Indigofera tinctoria), usually in the form of dark blue powders, pastes, cakes, lumps, etc. (2) Colouring matter of animal origin, for example, cochineal extract, generally obtained by extraction with acidified water or ammonia solution from dried Coccus cacti insects; carmine, a red colouring extract from kermes insects; sepia, a brown colouring matter obtained from the ink sac of the cuttlefish; colouring extracts obtained from shellac, the principal one being known as lac-dye; natural pearl essence (pearlescent pigment) obtained from fish scales and consisting mainly of guanine and hypoxanthine, in crystalline form. The heading also covers preparations based on colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin, of a kind used to colour any material or used as ingredients in the manufacture of colouring preparations. These include: (i) solutions of annatto in vegetable oil, used in certain countries for colouring butter;

(ii) natural nacreous (pearl) pigment dispersed in a medium consisting of water or a mixture of water and a water-soluble solvent. This product is sometimes called "pearl essence" and is used for making aqueous coatings or cosmetic products. However, the preparations referred to in the last sentence of Note 3 to this Chapter are excluded. The heading also excludes: (a) carbon black (heading 2803); (b) substances which are not in practice used for their colouring properties, e.g., morin, haematin and hemin (Chapter 29); (c) synthetic organic colouring matter (heading 3204); (d) colour lakes obtained by fixing a natural colouring matter of animal or vegetable origin on a base (e.g., carmine lake, lakes based on sandalwood, yellowwood and redwood) (heading 3205); (e) dyes and other colouring matter put up in forms or packings for retail sale (heading 3212); (f) ivory black and other animal black (heading 3802).

Notes

Machine translation. The original is the Russian text of the EAEU tariff, and customs goes by it; this translation is for understanding only and has no legal force.

1. This group does not include:

(a) individual elements or compounds of a specified chemical composition (other than products of heading 3203 or 3204, inorganic products used as phosphors (heading 3206), glass obtained from fused quartz or other fused silica in the forms specified in heading 3207, and dyes and other dyes packaged in molds or packaging for retail sale, heading 3212);

(b) Tannats or other tannin derivatives of headings 2936 to 2939, 2941 or 3501 to 3504; or

(c) Mastics of asphalt or other bitumen mastics (heading 2715).

2. Heading 3204 covers mixtures of stabilized diazonium salts and components for producing azo dyes.

3. Headings 3203 to 3206 also cover products made of colouring substances (including, in the case of heading 3206, colouring pigments of heading 2530 or of Chapter 28, metal flakes or metal powders) used for dyeing any material or as components in the manufacture of colouring agents. These headings do not, however, cover pigments dispersed in non-aqueous media, liquid or pasty, used in the manufacture of paints, including enamel (heading 3212), or other products of headings 3207 to 3210, 3212, 3213 and 3215.

4. Heading 3208 covers solutions (other than collodes) consisting of any products of headings 3901 to 3913 in volatile organic solvents where the solvent content exceeds 50% by weight of the solution.

5. The term “coloring substance” in this chapter does not refer to products used as fillers of oil paints, whether or not suitable for adhesive paints.

6. The term "embossing foil" in heading 3212 means only thin sheet materials used for imprinting, for example, on book covers or hat ribbons, and consisting of:

(a) metal powder (including precious metal powder) or pigment agglomerated with glue, gelatin or other binder; or

(b) metal (including precious metal) or pigment applied to a sheet substrate of any material.