Find HS headings and EU Combined Nomenclature codes for polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC and PET, with product descriptions and links to the matching trade and tariff pages.
How to use the code table
HS headings group related products internationally; the EU Combined Nomenclature extends them into more detailed eight-digit subheadings. MatQuo uses those codes to define the product basket behind each trade series. The code is therefore part of the metric, not a decorative label.
Classification checks that matter
Identify the polymer, primary form, composition and any relevant physical or chemical distinction.
Use the nomenclature valid for the declaration year; codes and descriptions can change.
Do not assume a commercial grade name maps to only one customs subheading.
Confirm the final classification and tariff treatment in the destination’s official customs system.
A broader heading can mix grades with different values, which changes an average customs unit value even when individual prices are stable. For that reason every MatQuo trade page states its HS scope and labels the result as a trade average. Continue to the tariff checker, the trade explorer or the data methodology.
Classification source: World Customs Organization Harmonized System and the European Union Combined Nomenclature, accessed through the European Commission TARIC consultation.
Polyethylene HS code: PE, LDPE and HDPE
Polyethylene in primary forms belongs to HS heading 3901. The international six-digit subheading depends on composition and specific gravity; the EU CN then adds two digits. LDPE is not interchangeable with every low-density ethylene copolymer. Linear low-density polyethylene and ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers require a closer reading of composition and classification notes. Use the table as a navigation aid, then check the current legal wording for the material being declared.
Eight-digit EU CN codes for PE, PP, PVC and PET
The table summarises selected codes from the 2026 Combined Nomenclature. Descriptions below are plain-English summaries, not binding classification decisions. All entries concern polymers in primary forms; finished film, sheets, bottles and other articles can fall under different headings.
Polymer / HS heading
CN code
Plain-English scope
PE / 3901
39011010
Linear polyethylene with specific gravity below 0.94.
PE / 3901
39011090
Other polyethylene with specific gravity below 0.94; a relevant branch for non-linear LDPE.
PE / 3901
39012090
Other polyethylene with specific gravity at least 0.94, outside the special end-use branch 39012010.
PE / 3901
39013000
Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers.
PE / 3901
39014000
Ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers with specific gravity below 0.94.
PP / 3902
39021000
Polypropylene.
PP / 3902
39023000
Propylene copolymers, a different branch from polypropylene.
PVC / 3904
39041000
Poly(vinyl chloride) not mixed with other substances.
PVC / 3904
39042100
Other PVC, non-plasticised.
PVC / 3904
39042200
Other PVC, plasticised.
PET / 3907.61
39076100
PET with a viscosity number of 78 ml/g or higher.
PET / 3907.69
39076900
Other PET.
Classification source: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1926, Annex I, Chapter 39, applicable for 2026. The EU CN is updated annually. Confirm the declaration date, composition, physical form and relevant chapter notes in TARIC; a ten-digit TARIC code can add further detail and measures.
From a code to the matching material and tariff page
3901 is the HS heading for polyethylene in primary forms. The correct subheading depends on composition and specific gravity, and the EU CN adds further detail. Use the existing code table to distinguish the product branches, then confirm the declaration year and legal wording in the official customs system.
Identify the polymer, composition and physical form.
Find the relevant heading and subheading in the code table.
Confirm the declaration year and applicable chapter notes in TARIC.
Material
HS / CN scope
PE
3901
PP
390210 / 39021000
PVC, unmixed
390410 / 39041000
PET
39076100 / 39076900
What is the HS code for LDPE?
390110 covers polyethylene with specific gravity below 0.94. The EU CN distinguishes linear polyethylene, 39011010, from other polyethylene, 39011090. An LDPE or LLDPE label alone does not settle classification: composition can place an ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymer under 39014000. Check the material documentation and the current nomenclature before declaring it.
What is the HS code for polypropylene?
390210 is the HS subheading for polypropylene in primary forms, with EU CN code 39021000. Propylene copolymers instead belong under 390230 and CN 39023000. A finished PP film or container needs classification as an article; do not automatically apply the primary-form resin code to the finished product.
No. Duty treatment also depends on destination, origin, declaration date, preferences and applicable measures. Use the matched tariff page for context and the official customs system for the exact code and shipment. A statistical code is not proof of preferential origin.