HS Code 32159020
Writing Ink
Worked example
On an assessable value of BDT 100,000, the total duty and taxes payable on 32159020 would be approximately BDT 44,750.00, because the Total Tax Incidence is 44.75% of the assessable value.
What these figures mean
Writing Ink is classified under HS code 32159020, which sits in heading 3215 (Ink; printing, writing or drawing ink and other inks; whether or not concentrated or solid) of chapter 32 (Tanning or dyeing extracts; dyes, pigments, paints and varnishes; putty; inks).
Under the Bangladesh Operative Tariff 2026-2027 this line attracts Customs Duty of 25%, Supplementary Duty of 0%, VAT of 0%, Advance Income Tax of 5%, Regulatory Duty of 5% and Advance Tax of 7.5%. Combined, these produce a Total Tax Incidence of 44.75%, which is the figure to multiply by the assessable value of your consignment.
The assessable value is normally the CIF value of the goods plus landing charges. Duties and taxes are applied in a defined order rather than simply added together, which is why the TTI is not the plain sum of the individual rates.
Recorded imports
Between December 2025 and May 2026, NBR recorded commercial imports under 32159020 in 6 of 6 months, totalling 63,511 kg at an assessable value of BDT 59,660,480. That is an average of BDT 939 per kilogram — useful as a rough check on whether a declared value looks plausible. In May 2026 it was the 3,336th largest of 4,066 tariff lines by assessable value.
| Month | Net weight | Assessable value | Per kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | 21,709 kg | BDT 20,178,682 | BDT 930 |
| January 2026 | 41,260 kg | BDT 39,200,266 | BDT 950 |
| February 2026 | 36 kg | BDT 15,419 | BDT 428 |
| March 2026 | 298 kg | BDT 134,521 | BDT 451 |
| April 2026 | 182 kg | BDT 31,668 | BDT 174 |
| May 2026 | 26 kg | BDT 99,924 | BDT 3,843 |
Bonded imports. A further 49 kg worth BDT 438,884 entered under the bonded-warehouse regime in the same period — goods brought in duty-free as inputs on the undertaking that they leave again as exports, which in Bangladesh overwhelmingly means ready-made garments. Bonded entries account for 0.7% of the total value imported under this code, the rest entering commercially.
Import figures: NBR Import Statements (IM-4 commercial, IM-7 bonded), December 2025 – May 2026. Assessable value is the customs value on which duty is charged, not the retail or invoice price.
Source: NBR Operative Tariff 2026-2027. The full schedule was reconciled against NBR's online duty calculator before publication; figures were last checked against NBR's live operative tariff search on 10 October 2026.
How this line compares
Chapter 32 contains 57 tariff lines, averaging 54.84%. At 44.75%, 32159020 sits below that average by 10.09 percentage points. It is the 23rd most heavily taxed line in the chapter.
Across the whole Operative Tariff the mean is 61.08%, so this line is cheaper than the typical import by 16.33 points.
Within heading 3215 alone, rates run from 44.75% to 64.25% across 5 lines. Classification inside a single heading can change the bill substantially, so confirm the eight-digit code rather than working from the four-digit heading.
No supplementary duty applies here, which is the normal case — SD is zero on 78% of the tariff. Where it does apply it usually dominates every other component.