HTS heading 3303 · Chapter 33, Essential oils, perfumery and cosmetics
US imports of Perfumes and toilet waters
Perfumes and toilet waters
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value.
US imports under HTS 3303 at a glance
Between March and July 2026, US importers entered $1.92 billion of perfumes and toilet waters under HTS heading 3303, from 48 of the 55 origin countries covered here and across 3 ten-digit tariff lines — roughly $383 million a month of customs value under a single four-digit heading.
The heading belongs to chapter 33, essential oils, perfumery and cosmetics. Classification disputes in this range usually turn on the six-digit subheading, which is where the rates start to diverge.
Top origin countries by share of HTS 3303
Origin countries: value, share and duty paid
| Origin | Import value | Share | Dutiable share | Effective duty | Duty per $100 | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | $1.01 billion | 52.7% | 93.7% | 9.78% | $9.17 | Duty on 3303.00.30 |
| Spain | $275 million | 14.4% | 94.3% | 9.99% | $9.42 | Duty on 3303.00.30 |
| Italy | $226 million | 11.8% | 96.1% | 9.77% | $9.39 | Duty on 3303.00.30 Italy lane |
| United Arab Emirates | $192 million | 10% | 98.7% | 9.63% | $9.50 | Duty on 3303.00.30 |
| United Kingdom | $44.3 million | 2.3% | 98.7% | 9.05% | $8.94 | Duty on 3303.00.30 |
| Switzerland | $28.5 million | 1.5% | 96.8% | 9% | $8.71 | Duty on 3303.00.30 |
| Mexico | $28.5 million | 1.5% | 1% | 44.94% | $0.46 | |
| China | $24.1 million | 1.3% | 100% | 34.49% | $34.47 | Duty on 3303.00.30 China lane |
| India | $17.6 million | 0.9% | 94% | 10.10% | $9.49 | Duty on 3303.00.30 India lane |
| Canada | $13.6 million | 0.7% | 4.4% | 10% | $0.44 | |
| Vietnam | $12.1 million | 0.6% | 93.7% | 10% | $9.37 | Duty on 3303.00.20 Vietnam lane |
| Turkey | $10.8 million | 0.6% | 99% | 10.09% | $9.99 | Duty on 3303.00.30 |
| South Korea | $7.1 million | 0.4% | 99.4% | 11.10% | $11.03 | Duty on 3303.00.30 |
| Poland | $4.1 million | 0.2% | 97.2% | 9.41% | $9.14 | Duty on 3303.00.30 |
| Germany | $3.0 million | 0.2% | 93.5% | 9.96% | $9.31 | Duty on 3303.00.30 |
Who exports perfumes and toilet waters to the United States
France, Spain and Italy together account for 78.9% of the heading. France leads with $1.01 billion (52.7%), ahead of Spain at 14.4% and Italy at 11.8%. Concentrated but not captive: alternatives exist, and buyers who qualify a second origin early keep some leverage when duties move.
European origins account for 79.3% of the heading, led by France, Spain and Italy. Supply from Europe here tends to be specification-driven rather than price-driven, and the shipments are smaller and more frequent than the volumes further down the table.
What importers actually paid in duty
Almost everything under this heading is dutiable: 92.9% of entered value carried duty, and CBP collected $180 million over the five months. The effective rate on dutiable value was 10.1%, which works out to $9.39 of duty per $100 of goods. There is no meaningful duty-free channel here — classification and origin are the only levers.
The spread between origins is real. Among origins with at least 2% of the heading, United Arab Emirates paid the most duty relative to value — $9.50 per $100 — while United Kingdom paid $8.94. On a $250,000 purchase order that gap is about $1,000 in duty alone, which is worth pricing into a sourcing decision rather than discovering on the entry summary.
10-digit tariff lines under HTS 3303
| HTS code | Description | Import value | Share | Duty per $100 | Largest origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3303.00.30.00 | Containing alcohol | $1.75 billion | 91.3% | $9.41 | France |
| 3303.00.20.00 | — | $83.1 million | 4.3% | $10.98 | France |
| 3303.00.10.00 | — | $82.8 million | 4.3% | $7.43 | France |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value.
The 10-digit lines under heading 3303
3 ten-digit lines carried trade under this heading in the period. The largest, 3303.00.30.00 (containing alcohol), took 91.3% of the heading at $1.75 billion. 3303.00.20.00 and 3303.00.10.00 follow. Rates diverge between those lines, so the classification your broker files is worth checking against the goods rather than carried over from the last entry.
What the duty stack looks like
The rate on an entry is not one number. It is a stack: the general (column 1) rate for the 10-digit line, less any trade-agreement preference the goods qualify for, plus whatever additional duties apply to that product and origin, all applied to the customs value declared. The $9.39 per $100 above is what that stack averaged across every entry in this heading — a benchmark, not a quote.
For the origins carrying the most volume, the per-country breakdowns go a level deeper: France (3303.00.30), Spain (3303.00.30) and Italy (3303.00.30). To price a specific shipment, put your 10-digit code and country of origin into the tariff simulator.
What this means for your next shipment
The numbers above are a starting point, not the answer for a specific shipment: the rate depends on the exact 10-digit line, the origin, and any trade-agreement claim you can substantiate. Airlift USA arranges the ocean and air movement and coordinates classification and entry filing through our licensed broker network.
For the operational side rather than the tariff side, see the Beauty & Personal Care Products guide for how this cargo moves, the Italy to USA lane for transit times and ports and the heading index to compare against the rest of chapter 33.
Price a shipment under HTS 3303
Airlift USA has moved ocean and air freight into the United States since 1999 and coordinates HTS classification, ISF and entry filing through our licensed broker network.
Methodology
Figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's international trade statistics for imports for consumption — the customs value of goods entered into US commerce, not shipments in transit or goods held in bonded warehouses. The period is March–July 2026 (5 months of data), and coverage is limited to 55 major origin countries, so totals here are lower than published US-wide totals for the same heading.
Three quantities are additive and everything else is derived from them: entered customs value, dutiable value and calculated duty. Effective duty is calculated duty divided by dutiable value — the rate CBP actually applied to the part of the trade that was dutiable. Dutiable share is dutiable value divided by entered value; below 20% it means the trade entered mostly free, under a trade agreement or a duty-free provision. Duty per $100 spreads calculated duty across all entered value, which is the figure comparable between origins.
Chapter 98 and chapter 99 are excluded: those are special classification and temporary-measure provisions rather than product headings. Heading and tariff-line descriptions are the current HTS text. Values are historical and reflect duty as calculated at the time of entry; they are not a quote and not a prediction of the rate on a future shipment.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value. Census data is a work of the US government and is in the public domain.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries export the most perfumes and toilet waters to the United States?
France is the largest origin under HTS heading 3303, with $1.01 billion entered between March and July 2026, or 52.7% of the heading. Spain follows at 14.4% and Italy at 11.8%. Figures cover the 55 major origin countries in this dataset. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online / International Trade API, imports for consumption, March–July 2026; effective duty = calculated duty ÷ dutiable value.
How much import duty is paid on perfumes and toilet waters under HTS 3303?
Across all origins, 92.9% of the entered value was dutiable and CBP calculated $180 million of duty over the five months — an effective 10.1% on dutiable value, or about $9.39 per $100 of goods across the whole heading. Your own rate depends on the exact 10-digit line and country of origin.
Which HTS codes fall under heading 3303?
Heading 3303 covers perfumes and toilet waters. 3 ten-digit lines recorded imports in this period; the largest by value were 3303.00.30.00, 3303.00.20.00 and 3303.00.10.00. Duty rates differ between those lines, so the 10-digit classification matters more than the heading.
Which origin pays the lowest duty on perfumes and toilet waters?
Among origins with at least 2% of the heading, United Kingdom paid the least duty relative to entered value — about $8.94 per $100 of goods, with 1.3% of its value entering free. Duty is only one part of landed cost, and a claim has to be substantiated at entry to be allowed.
How do I check the duty on my own shipment?
Use the Airlift USA tariff simulator with your 10-digit HTS code and country of origin to see the duty stack that applies today, then confirm the classification before you file. Airlift USA coordinates classification and entry filing through our licensed broker network and can review the code against your product specification.