THE QUICK ANSWER
The EU imported $503m of goods under HS 4201 from outside the EU in 2025. China supplied 54.4% and India 24.4%, almost the same split as in 2019 (55.2% and 23.9%), while in the US China’s share fell from 64.8% to 25.9% over the same years. In January–July 2026 EU imports were 4.1% below the same months of 2025, with China at 51.4% and India at 25.2%.
THE NUMBERS
- $503m
- EU imports from outside the EU under HS 4201 in 2025, against $641m in 2022. UN Comtrade
- 54.4%
- China’s share in 2025; it stayed between 51.0% and 55.4% every year from 2019. UN Comtrade
- 24.4%
- India’s share in 2025, the second-largest source in every year. UN Comtrade
- −4.1%
- January–July 2026 against the same months of 2025; China held 51.4%. UN Comtrade
Share of EU imports under HS 4201, by country of origin
- China 54.4% in 2025
- India 24.4% in 2025
- United Kingdom 3.7% in 2025
- Vietnam 3.2% in 2025
What the EU figure covers
The European Union reports to UN Comtrade as one trader, so these figures are imports from outside the EU: trade between member states is not included. The United Kingdom was a member in 2019, so its supplies only appear as imports from 2020. Values are published in US dollars, so movements in the euro exchange rate change the dollar totals even when euro spending does not. HS 4201 is the international customs heading for “saddlery and harness for any animal (including traces, leads, knee pads, muzzles, saddle cloths, saddle bags, dog coats and the like), of any material”. It is the closest heading to dog walking gear that every country reports in the same way, which is why it is used here. It also covers saddlery and harness for horses and other animals, so read the figures as walking gear plus tack, not as dog products alone. National tariff schedules split dog equipment into their own lines below the six-digit level, but those lines are not comparable between countries.
Seven years of EU imports
EU imports from outside the EU under HS 4201 were $442m in 2019 and $381m in 2020, rose to $602m in 2021 and $641m in 2022, fell to $420m in 2023 and recovered to $456m in 2024 and $503m in 2025.
China and India, then everyone else
China’s share stayed between 51.0% and 55.4% in every year from 2019 to 2025, and India’s between 21.7% and 24.4%. Together they supplied 78.8% of 2025 imports: China $274m and India $123m. The United Kingdom has supplied 3.7% to 5.4% since 2020, Vietnam about 3%, Morocco 2–3% and Cambodia under 1%, against 20.0% of US imports in 2025.
2026 so far
Monthly records for January to July 2026 add up to $272m, 4.1% less than the $283m recorded for the same months of 2025. China’s share was 51.4%, against 54.3% a year earlier, and India’s 25.2%, against 24.3%.
Why the EU and US pictures differ
Over the same seven years China’s share of US imports under this heading fell from 64.8% to 25.9%, while its share of EU imports barely moved. The statistics show the difference, not its cause. The two markets apply different duties by country of origin, so a buyer serving both should check the current rate for the product in each market’s tariff database before comparing landed costs.
How the figures were built
We retrieved UN Comtrade records for HS 4201 with the European Union as reporter and imports as the flow, partner by partner, for each year from 2019 to 2025 and for each month from January to July of 2025 and 2026. A share is the partner’s value divided by the world total reported for the same period. To check a figure, query the UN Comtrade Database for commodity 4201, reporter European Union, flow import, all partners and the period in question.
What it means for an EU brand
For goods sold in the EU, product rules follow the product and the market, not the supplier’s country: the General Product Safety Regulation and REACH chemical restrictions apply wherever the leash or harness was made. Put the target market, the material records you need and the declared country of origin into the brief, and ask for the producing facility to be named. Catidog quotes these products at a typical 100–500 units per product.
EU imports from outside the EU under HS 4201: total and share by origin
| Period | EU imports (US$ m) | China | India | United Kingdom | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 442.3 | 55.2% | 23.9% | member | 3.2% |
| 2020 | 381.1 | 51.0% | 22.4% | 5.4% | 2.7% |
| 2021 | 602.3 | 51.7% | 23.0% | 4.4% | 3.7% |
| 2022 | 641.2 | 55.4% | 21.7% | 4.0% | 3.6% |
| 2023 | 419.5 | 51.5% | 22.2% | 5.0% | 2.6% |
| 2024 | 456.3 | 54.6% | 23.2% | 4.2% | 2.9% |
| 2025 | 503.2 | 54.4% | 24.4% | 3.7% | 3.2% |
| Jan–Jul 2026 | 271.7 | 51.4% | 25.2% | 4.4% | 3.3% |
Products in this customs heading.
No-pull dog harness — materials, customization and sample checks Standard dog leash — materials, customization and sample checks Adjustable webbing collar — materials, customization and sample checks Dog winter coat — materials, customization and sample checksSources and research context
Figures are official trade statistics as reported to UN Comtrade. Totals and shares are our calculation from those records; no raw records are republished.
- United Nations Statistics Division · UN Comtrade Database · HS 4201, imports reported by the European Union, by partner: annual 2019–2025 and monthly January–July 2025 and 2026 (retrieved 9 October 2026)
- United Nations Statistics Division · UN Comtrade Database · HS 4201, imports reported by the USA, by partner: annual 2019–2025 and monthly January–July 2025 and 2026 (retrieved 9 October 2026)
- Japan Customs · Tariff schedule as of 1 April 2026, chapter 42: heading 42.01, “Saddlery and harness for any animal”
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