An HS code is the internationally agreed number that classifies a product for customs. The first 6 digits are the same in almost every country; countries add more digits for their own duty rates.
An HS code is a number from the Harmonized System, the product classification maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO). Customs authorities in more than 200 countries and territories use it to identify goods, apply duty rates and collect trade statistics. The first six digits are internationally harmonised; each country can add further digits for its own tariff.
| Digits | Level | Example: 6109.10 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chapter | 61: knitted or crocheted apparel |
| 4 | Heading | 6109: T shirts, singlets and other vests, knitted |
| 6 | Subheading | 6109.10: of cotton |
Another example: 0901.21 is coffee, roasted, not decaffeinated. The Harmonized System is revised about every five years; the current edition is HS 2022, in force since 1 January 2022.
Countries extend the six digit HS code for their own tariffs, which is why the same product can have different "full" codes in different places:
| Name | Country | Digits |
|---|---|---|
| HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) | United States | 10 (8 for duty, 2 statistical) |
| CN (Combined Nomenclature) and TARIC | European Union | 8 for the CN, 10 for TARIC |
| Commodity code | United Kingdom | 8 for exports, 10 for imports |
| ITC HS and HSN | India (HSN code finder) | 8 for customs; HSN for GST uses 4 to 8 |
| NCM | Brazil and Mercosur | 8 |
Put the code on each line of the commercial invoice and packing list, and use the same code on the export and import declarations. The code drives the duty you pay, so it is a large part of your landed cost. Under DDP the seller is responsible for the import classification; under other Incoterms the buyer is.
An HS code is the number from the World Customs Organization's Harmonized System that classifies a product for customs. The first six digits are the same in nearly every country.
Six at international level. Countries add digits for their own tariffs: the US uses 10, the EU 8 (or 10 for TARIC), and India 8 for customs.
The first six digits are the same. The HTS code is the US extension of the HS code, with 10 digits in total.
The importer or exporter declares it, and customs can challenge it. For certainty, ask a customs broker or apply for a binding ruling from the customs authority.
Yes. Duty rates are set per tariff code, so the classification directly decides how much duty is due, together with the origin of the goods.