Stamping foils are specifically provided for under heading 3212 when they consist of a thin layer of pigment, metal, or other coloring material on a backing, designed to transfer a decorative finish by pressure or heat. The essential character is the coloring/decorating function rather than the backing material, so the foil's classification in 3212 holds even when the carrier is a plastic film. If the product is a plain metallized film without a decorative transfer function, it may classify under plastics or metal foil headings instead.

Nonaqueous pigment dispersions under 3212 are concentrated intermediates — pigment ground into an oil, resin, or solvent vehicle — supplied to paint manufacturers for let-down into finished coatings. They are not ready-to-use paints. A finished paint formulated with binders, additives, and solvents for direct application classifies under 3208. The absence of a complete binder system and the intermediate (not end-use) nature of the product are the key distinctions.