HS code · 2-digit chapter

HS Code 33 – Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations

What HS 33 covers

Chapter 33 of the Harmonized System encompasses 'Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations.' This broad classification covers a vast array of products designed for personal care, beauty, and fragrance, as well as their crucial raw material components. The scope extends from concentrated natural extracts like essential oils and resinoids (Heading 3301) to industrial mixtures of odoriferous substances (3302), and culminates in a wide range of finished consumer products. These include perfumes and toilet waters (3303), beauty, make-up, and skin care preparations (3304), hair preparations (3305), oral/dental hygiene products (3306), and various other personal care items like shaving preparations, deodorants, bath preparations, and even prepared room deodorizers (3307). This classification is critically important for trade compliance due to the significant regulatory oversight in the cosmetics and personal care industry. Accurate classification directly impacts import duties, taxes, and the application of specific national regulations (e.g., FDA in the US, EU Cosmetic Regulation, KFDA in South Korea) governing ingredient safety, labeling, and marketing claims. Misclassification can lead to costly delays, penalties, product detentions, and even market access denial. Historically, the trade in perfumery and cosmetics dates back millennia, but modern globalization has transformed it into a multi-billion dollar industry, with complex supply chains for raw materials and finished goods. The chapter serves as a linchpin for managing this global trade, ensuring consistency and transparency for customs authorities, importers, exporters, and consumers alike. Its boundaries are defined by the intended use of the product – for personal application to enhance appearance, hygiene, or scent, distinguishing it from medicaments or general cleaning agents.

Covers
  • Lavender essential oil
  • Bergamot essential oil
  • Rose absolute resinoid
  • Concentrated perfume bases
  • Eau de parfum
  • Eau de toilette
  • Lipstick
  • Liquid foundation makeup
  • Mascara
  • Anti-aging face serum
  • Sunscreen lotion
  • Shampoo
  • Hair conditioner
  • Hair styling gel
  • Fluoride toothpaste
  • Mouthwash
  • Shaving cream
  • Aftershave balm
  • Antiperspirant spray
  • Bath bombs
  • Depilatory creams
  • Nail polish
  • Cuticle remover
  • Prepared room deodorizer sprays
  • Scented sachets
Examples

A French luxury brand exports high-end eau de parfum from Grasse, France, to boutique retailers across the United States via air cargo. This shipment would fall under HS 3303, requiring careful adherence to both French export regulations and U.S. FDA cosmetic import requirements, along with accurate duty payment. An Indian manufacturer specializing in Ayurvedic products ships bulk quantities of sandalwood essential oil and peppermint oil to a major fragrance house in Germany via ocean freight. These raw materials are classified under HS 3301 and must comply with EU REACH regulations for chemical substances, CITES for certain endangered plant species, and specific quality standards for essential oils. A South Korean cosmetics company exports a container of sheet facial masks and anti-aging serums to a distributor in Vietnam. Classified under HS 3304, these products benefit from preferential tariffs under the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) agreement, provided they meet the rules of origin, but still must satisfy Vietnamese cosmetic product registration and labeling requirements. A Brazilian personal care giant ships a large consignment of shampoos, conditioners, and styling gels to various markets across Latin America. These products, classified under HS 3305, travel primarily by truck or ocean freight, necessitating compliance with diverse national health and sanitary regulations within the Mercosur trade bloc and other importing countries.

Headings in chapter 33 7

33.01Oils; essential (concretes, absolutes); concentrates thereof in fats, fixed oils, waxes or the like (obtained by enfleurage or maceration); aqueous distillates, solutions and terpenic by-products thereof; resinoids; extracted oleoresins33.02Odoriferous substances and mixtures (including alcoholic solutions) with a basis of one or more of these substances, of a kind used as raw materials in industry; other preparations based on odoriferous substances, of a kind used for beverage manufacture33.03Perfumes and toilet waters33.04Cosmetic and toilet preparations; beauty, make-up and skin care preparations (excluding medicaments, including sunscreen or sun tan preparations), manicure or pedicure preparations33.05Hair preparations; for use on the hair33.06Oral or dental hygiene preparations; including fixative pastes and powders; yarn used to clean between the teeth (dental floss), in individual retail packages33.07Perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations; pre-shave, shaving, after-shave, bath preparations; personal deodorants and depilatories; room deodorisers, perfumed or not with disinfectant properties or not

54 Brazil NCM codes in chapter 33 →

Codes often confused with 33

Common mistake. Traders frequently misclassify products between Chapter 33 and other chapters, leading to compliance issues. A common mistake involves confusing cosmetic preparations with medicaments (Chapter 30). For instance, an anti-dandruff shampoo making therapeutic claims (e.g., 'treats seborrheic dermatitis') might belong to Chapter 30, while one simply 'improving scalp health' would remain in Chapter 33. Similarly, distinction from soaps (Chapter 34) is crucial; a beauty bar is 3304/3307, but a traditional soap bar is 3401. Also, highly purified individual chemical compounds used in perfumery, if not yet in a mixture or preparation, might belong to Chapter 29 (Organic Chemicals) rather than Chapter 33, which covers essential oils (mixtures) and finished preparations.

33.04Cosmetic and toilet preparations; beauty, make-up and skin care preparations (excluding medicaments, including sunscreen or sun tan preparations), manicure or pedicure preparations33.07Perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations; pre-shave, shaving, after-shave, bath preparations; personal deodorants and depilatories; room deodorisers, perfumed or not with disinfectant properties or not34.01Soap; organic surface-active preparations used as soap, skin washing, in bars, cakes, moulded pieces, shapes, liquid or cream, containing soap or not; for retail, paper, wadding, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with soap or detergent

Top exporters and importers of HS code 33, 2025

In 2025, the largest exporter of HS code 33 in UN Comtrade data was France, with 15% of world exports; the largest importer in UN Comtrade data was the United States, with 10% of world imports. Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.

Top exporters 2025 · share of world exports

  1. 1 France $28.8B
  2. 2 United States $15.0B
  3. 3 Germany $14.2B

World total: $197.1B Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗

Top importers 2025 · share of world imports

  1. 1 United States $20.8B
  2. 2 China $16.3B
  3. 3 Germany $11.6B

World total: $201.2B Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗

How these figures are built

109 countries reported 2025 trade to UN Comtrade in HS 2022, and their own totals are used. Countries that did not report are estimated from what other countries recorded trading with them. Those estimates miss trade with other non-reporting countries, so they can be low, and a non-reporting country can rank higher than shown or be missing from the list. World totals add both and leave out trade between two non-reporting countries. Figures are in current US dollars; reported imports are mostly valued CIF and exports FOB, and exports include re-exports. The UN Comtrade links show the underlying records; they can also list a few reporters left out here (regional groups and older HS editions).

Source: UN Comtrade (United Nations Statistics Division), 2025 annual data.

Questions about HS 33

What is HS code 33?

HS code 33 is a 2-digit chapter in the Harmonized System that covers: Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations. Chapter 33 of the Harmonized System encompasses 'Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations.' This broad classification covers a vast array of products designed for personal care, beauty, and fragrance, as well as their crucial raw material components. The scope extends from concentrated natural extracts like essential oils and resinoids (Heading 3301) to industrial mixtures of odoriferous substances (3302), and culminates in a wide range of finished consumer products. These include perfumes and toilet waters (3303), beauty, make-up, and skin care preparations (3304), hair preparations (3305), oral/dental hygiene products (3306), and various other personal care items like shaving preparations, deodorants, bath preparations, and even prepared room deodorizers (3307). This classification is critically important for trade compliance due to the significant regulatory oversight in the cosmetics and personal care industry. Accurate classification directly impacts import duties, taxes, and the application of specific national regulations (e.g., FDA in the US, EU Cosmetic Regulation, KFDA in South Korea) governing ingredient safety, labeling, and marketing claims. Misclassification can lead to costly delays, penalties, product detentions, and even market access denial. Historically, the trade in perfumery and cosmetics dates back millennia, but modern globalization has transformed it into a multi-billion dollar industry, with complex supply chains for raw materials and finished goods. The chapter serves as a linchpin for managing this global trade, ensuring consistency and transparency for customs authorities, importers, exporters, and consumers alike. Its boundaries are defined by the intended use of the product – for personal application to enhance appearance, hygiene, or scent, distinguishing it from medicaments or general cleaning agents.

What products fall under HS code 33?

Lavender essential oil, bergamot essential oil, rose absolute resinoid, concentrated perfume bases, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, lipstick, liquid foundation makeup, mascara, anti-aging face serum, sunscreen lotion, shampoo, hair conditioner, hair styling gel, fluoride toothpaste, mouthwash, shaving cream, aftershave balm, antiperspirant spray, bath bombs, depilatory creams, nail polish, cuticle remover, prepared room deodorizer sprays, scented sachets

What are common misclassifications for HS code 33?

Traders frequently misclassify products between Chapter 33 and other chapters, leading to compliance issues. A common mistake involves confusing cosmetic preparations with medicaments (Chapter 30). For instance, an anti-dandruff shampoo making therapeutic claims (e.g., 'treats seborrheic dermatitis') might belong to Chapter 30, while one simply 'improving scalp health' would remain in Chapter 33. Similarly, distinction from soaps (Chapter 34) is crucial; a beauty bar is 3304/3307, but a traditional soap bar is 3401. Also, highly purified individual chemical compounds used in perfumery, if not yet in a mixture or preparation, might belong to Chapter 29 (Organic Chemicals) rather than Chapter 33, which covers essential oils (mixtures) and finished preparations.

Which countries are the top exporters of goods under HS code 33?

In 2025, the top exporters of HS code 33 in UN Comtrade data were France ($28.8B, 15% of world exports), the United States ($15.0B) and Germany ($14.2B). World exports came to about $197.1B, adding countries' reported figures and partner-based estimates for those that did not report (UN Comtrade data). Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.

Which countries are the top importers of goods under HS code 33?

In 2025, the top importers of HS code 33 in UN Comtrade data were the United States ($20.8B, 10% of world imports), China ($16.3B) and Germany ($11.6B). World imports came to about $201.2B, adding countries' reported figures and partner-based estimates for those that did not report (UN Comtrade data). Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.

How is HS code 33 structured?

HS code 33 is a 2-digit chapter code in the Harmonized System maintained by the World Customs Organization. It represents a broad category of goods and contains multiple 4-digit headings and 6-digit subheadings for more specific classifications.