Latest trade
$87.8BGlobal sector valueHS2 sector intelligence
Dyes, paints and varnishes
sector trade overview
A clear view of the dyes, paints and varnishes economy: scale, momentum, market concentration, leading routes, and the products within it.
Explore the workspace Reported trade intelligence
Refreshed 2026-07-20
Refreshed 2026-07-20
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
Annual change
+1.5%Latest year on yearExporters
199Active reporting countriesImporters
200Active reporting countriesHS6 products
44Classifications in sectorThe sector read
$87.8B in trade, with -2% annualized growth over three years.
Dyes, paints and varnishes is recorded across 11,234 active corridors, with 199 exporters and 200 importers in the latest available year.
Market signalStable+1.7% five-year CAGR
Annual trend
Momentum across three decades
Reported global trade from 1995 to 2024. Missing years remain unavailable rather than estimated. Read the methodology ↗
Top trade corridors
Where this sector moves
The leading exporter-to-importer relationships by latest reported sector trade value. See data sources ↗
Latest reported relationshipsTop 10 by trade value
| Rank | Exporter | Importer | Trade value | Growth | HS6 | Distance | FTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | CanadaCAN | $2.2B | +1.3% | 44 | 556 km | Yes |
| 2 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | MexicoMEX | $1.7B | +2.3% | 44 | 3,359 km | Yes |
| 3 | JapanJPN | ChinaCHN | $1.4B | -5.5% | 42 | 1,763 km | No |
| 4 | CanadaCAN | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $1.1B | +0.7% | 43 | 556 km | Yes |
| 5 | ChinaCHN | IndiaIND | $1.1B | +7.9% | 44 | 4,252 km | No |
| 6 | Republic of KoreaKOR | ChinaCHN | $1.0B | -0.5% | 42 | 867 km | Yes |
| 7 | GermanyDEU | FranceFRA | $919.5M | -7.9% | 44 | 881 km | Yes |
| 8 | GermanyDEU | ItalyITA | $851.9M | -4.4% | 43 | 1,184 km | Yes |
| 9 | GermanyDEU | NetherlandsNLD | $818.6M | -9.1% | 44 | 579 km | Yes |
| 10 | GermanyDEU | PolandPOL | $807.9M | -0.8% | 44 | 518 km | Yes |
Market structure
Where supply and demand concentrate
Exporter and importer rankings are separated so scale on one side of the market is not mistaken for demand on the other. Check coverage ↗
Top exporters2024 ranking
| Rank | Country | Exports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GermanyDEU | $11.9B | 187 | 44 |
| 2 | ChinaCHN | $11.2B | 198 | 44 |
| 3 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $8.1B | 182 | 44 |
| 4 | JapanJPN | $5.1B | 162 | 44 |
| 5 | NetherlandsNLD | $4.2B | 184 | 44 |
| 6 | IndiaIND | $4.1B | 187 | 44 |
| 7 | ItalyITA | $3.5B | 177 | 44 |
| 8 | FranceFRA | $3.4B | 184 | 44 |
| 9 | United KingdomGBR | $3.3B | 186 | 44 |
| 10 | SpainESP | $3.2B | 179 | 44 |
Top importers2024 ranking
| Rank | Country | Imports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GermanyDEU | $5.5B | 120 | 44 |
| 2 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $5.3B | 124 | 44 |
| 3 | ChinaCHN | $5.2B | 97 | 44 |
| 4 | FranceFRA | $3.6B | 127 | 44 |
| 5 | ItalyITA | $3.0B | 91 | 44 |
| 6 | MexicoMEX | $2.9B | 71 | 44 |
| 7 | NetherlandsNLD | $2.7B | 120 | 44 |
| 8 | CanadaCAN | $2.7B | 120 | 44 |
| 9 | IndiaIND | $2.7B | 98 | 44 |
| 10 | BelgiumBEL | $2.5B | 92 | 44 |
HS6 product coverage
The classifications inside this sector
Explore the six-digit product classifications that make up HS2 32.
49 classifications shownBrowse the product workspace ↗
Tanning extracts of vegetable origin: quebracho extractHS6 320110
Tanning extracts of vegetable origin: wattle extractHS6 320120
Tanning extracts of vegetable origin: oak or chestnut extractHS6 320130
Tanning extracts of vegetable origin: tannins and their salts, ethers, esters and other derivatives, (excluding quebracho or wattle extract)HS6 320190
Tanning substances: synthetic organic tanning substancesHS6 320210
Tanning substances: inorganic tanning substances: tanning preparations, whether or not containing natural tanning substances: enzymatic preparations for pre- tanningHS6 320290
Colouring matter of vegetable or animal origin, including dyeing extracts not animal black, whether or not chemically defined: preparations based on colouring matter of vegetable or animal originHS6 320300
Dyes: disperse dyes and preparations based thereonHS6 320411
Dyes: acid, whether or not premetallised and preparations based thereon, mordant dyes and preparations based thereonHS6 320412
Dyes: basic dyes and preparations based thereonHS6 320413
Dyes: direct dyes and preparations based thereonHS6 320414
Dyes: vat dyes (including those usable in that state as pigments) and preparations based thereonHS6 320415
Dyes: reactive dyes and preparations based thereonHS6 320416
Dyes: pigments and preparations based thereonHS6 320417
Dyes: carotenoid colouring matters and preparations based thereonHS6 320418
Dyes: n.e.c., including mixtures of colouring matter of two or more of those from item no. 3204.11 to 3204.19HS6 320419
Dyes: synthetic organic products of a kind used as fluorescent brightening agentsHS6 320420
Dyes: synthetic organic products n.e.s. in heading no. 3204 (eg of a kind used as luminophores), whether or not chemically definedHS6 320490
Colour lakes: preparations based on colour lakes as specified in note 3 to this chapterHS6 320500
Colouring matter: pigments and preparations based on titanium dioxideHS6 320610
Colouring matter: pigments and preparations based on titanium dioxide, containing 80% or more by weight of titanium dioxide calculated on the dry matterHS6 320611
Colouring matter: pigments and preparations based on titanium dioxide, containing less than 80% by weight of titanium dioxide calculated on the dry weightHS6 320619
Colouring matter: pigments and preparations based on chromium compoundsHS6 320620
Colouring matter: pigments and preparations based on cadmium compoundsHS6 320630
Colouring matter: ultramarine and preparations based thereonHS6 320641
Colouring matter: lithopone and other pigments and preparations based on zinc sulphideHS6 320642
Colouring matter: pigments and preparations based on hexacyanoferrates (ferrocyanides and ferricyanides)HS6 320643
Colouring matter: other preparations n.e.c. in item no. 3206.4HS6 320649
Colouring matter: inorganic products of a kind used as luminophoresHS6 320650
Pigments: prepared pigments, opacifiers, colours and similar preparationsHS6 320710
Enamels and glazes: vitrifiable enamels and glazes, engobes (slips) and similar preparationsHS6 320720
Lustres: liquid lustres and similar preparationsHS6 320730
Glass: glass frit and other glass, in the form of powder, granules or flakesHS6 320740
Paints and varnishes: based on polyesters, dispersed or dissolved in a non-aqueous mediumHS6 320810
Paints and varnishes: based on acrylic or vinyl polymers, dispersed or dissolved in a non-aqueous mediumHS6 320820
Paints and varnishes: based on polymers n.e.s. in heading no. 3208, dispersed or dissolved in a non-aqueous mediumHS6 320890
Paints and varnishes: based on acrylic or vinyl polymers, dispersed or dissolved in an aqueous mediumHS6 320910
Paints and varnishes: (based on polymers other than acrylic or vinyl), dispersed or dissolved in an aqueous mediumHS6 320990
Paints and varnishes: (including enamels, lacquers and distempers), prepared water pigments of a kind used for finishing leatherHS6 321000
Driers: preparedHS6 321100
Pigments: of a kind used in the manufacture of paints, stamping foilsHS6 321210
Pigments: of a kind used in the manufacture of paints, other than stamping foilsHS6 321290
Colours: in sets, of a kind used by artists, students or signboard paintersHS6 321310
Colours: (other than in sets), of a kind used by artists, students or signboard paintersHS6 321390
Mastics: painters\' fillingsHS6 321410
Mastics: n.e.s. in heading no. 3214HS6 321490
Ink: for printing, black, whether or not concentrated or solidHS6 321511
Ink: for printing, other than black, whether or not concentrated or solidHS6 321519
Ink: writing, drawing and other inks, n.e.c. in heading no. 3215, whether or not concentrated or solidHS6 321590
Definitions and coverage
Read the numbers with context
Clear definitions keep reported observations and calculated indicators in their proper context. Read our Responsible AI principles ↗
Reported values
Trade values describe reported merchandise trade for the HS2 classification. They are not company-level sales, retail quotes, or shipment records.
Calculated indicators
Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons are calculated from reported observations and should be read with their coverage period.
Missing data
A missing observation remains unavailable. It is not filled, interpolated, or presented as a forecast.
Coverage: 1995–2024 · Data refreshed 2026-07-20 09:34:08
Data source
OECD trade statistics with CEPII context
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-27). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.