The 6 digits every country shares
The Harmonized System (HS) is the international product classification maintained by the World Customs Organization and applied by more than 200 countries and territories. It covers roughly 98% of world trade. Every product gets a 6-digit number built in three layers:
| Digits | Level | Example: 8517.13 |
|---|---|---|
| 85 | Chapter | Electrical machinery and electronics |
| 8517 | Heading | Telephones and communication apparatus |
| 8517.13 | Subheading | Smartphones |
Those first 6 digits mean the same thing in New York, Rotterdam and Singapore. Everything after them is national.
HS vs HTS vs commodity code vs Schedule B
| Term | Digits | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| HS code | 6 | Worldwide base: the shared language |
| HTS code | 10 | Importing into the United States (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) |
| Schedule B number | 10 | Exporting from the United States (statistics; often differs from the HTS in the last 4 digits) |
| Commodity code | 10 | Importing into the United Kingdom (UK Integrated Tariff) |
| TARIC / CN code | 8-10 | European Union (Combined Nomenclature + TARIC measures) |
| HSN code | 4-8 | India (also used for GST) |
They all start from the same 6 HS digits, which is why every code page on this site is organized around the HS6 subheading, with the US and UK extensions shown beneath it.
Why the code matters
- It sets the duty rate. A cotton t-shirt (6109.10) and a synthetic one (6109.90) can carry different rates. In the US, additional Section 232/301 tariffs also attach to specific codes.
- It is legally your responsibility. The importer of record declares the code. Misclassification can mean back-duties, penalties and shipment delays, even when a freight forwarder suggested the code.
- It drives everything else: import VAT, licensing requirements, quota, origin rules under trade agreements, and export statistics.
How to find your code
- Search by what the product is, not the brand or model. Material and function decide classification: "stainless steel water bottle", not "HydroFlask 32oz".
- Read the neighbours. When you land on a subheading, check its siblings: classification works by elimination, and the right code is often the "other" line after the specific ones are ruled out.
- Check both jurisdictions if you ship to both. The 6-digit base matches, but the 10-digit lines and rates differ. Each code page here shows the US and UK lines together.
- For real money, get a binding ruling. US: a CBP ruling (searchable in CROSS). UK: Advance Tariff Ruling from HMRC. EU: Binding Tariff Information. All free.
The 2-digit chapters, the 21 sections
All goods live in 97 chapters grouped into 21 sections, from Section 1 (live animals) to Section 21 (works of art). Chapter 77 is reserved for future use and has been empty since 1988. Browse the full structure.
HS versions: 2022 today, 2028 next
The WCO revises the system roughly every five years. HS 2022 is in force now; HS 2028 has been adopted and takes effect on 1 January 2028 with about 300 amendment sets. Codes get split, merged and renumbered at each edition, which is why old references sometimes point to codes that no longer exist.