What is a Harmonized System (HS) code?

A Harmonized System (HS) code is a standardized numerical code used worldwide to classify goods in international trade. It is managed by the World Customs Organization and used by customs authorities in over 200 countries to identify products, calculate duties and taxes, and collect trade statistics.

Are HS Codes used both for import and export?

Yes, HS codes are used for both import and export. The same six-digit HS structure underpins the classification systems countries use when goods enter or leave a country. It appears on customs declarations, commercial invoices, and certificates of origin.

What really sets an HS code apart from an HTS code?

An HS code is a 6-digit global classification system used by over 200 countries. An HTS code is country-specific and adds extra digits to the base HS code to determine duty rates and trade statistics. The first six digits remain consistent worldwide, while additional digits vary by country.

Why are the first 6 digits of an HS Code so important?

The first six digits are standardized by the World Customs Organization and are the same worldwide. They form the universal product classification used in international trade. Additional digits determine country-specific duties, but the first six digits ensure global consistency.

What are the risks of using an incorrect HS code?

Using an incorrect HS code can result in customs delays, shipment inspections, fines, seizure of goods, or repayment of duties. It can also damage business reputation and create compliance or insurance complications.

How often are HS codes updated?

The World Customs Organization updates the HS nomenclature approximately every five years, most recently in 2022. However, individual countries may update their national tariff schedules more frequently.

Are tariff codes and HS codes the same thing?

No. An HS code is the global 6-digit classification system created by the World Customs Organization. A tariff code is a country-specific classification that builds on the HS code and includes additional digits to determine duties and taxes.

Κωδικοί HS & HTS

6907

Ceramic flags and paving, hearth or wall tiles, ceramic mosaic cubes and the like, whether or not on a backing, finishing ceramics

6909

Ceramic ware for laboratory, chemical, other technical uses, ceramic troughs, tubs, similar receptacles used in agriculture, ceramic pots, jars and similar used in the conveyance or packing of goods

6910

Ceramic sinks, wash basins, wash basin pedestals, baths, bidets, water closet pans, flushing cisterns, urinals and similar sanitary fixtures

6911

Tableware, kitchenware, other household articles and toilet articles, of porcelain or china

6912

Ceramic tableware, kitchenware, other household articles and toilet articles, other than of porcelain or china

6913

Statuettes and other ornamental ceramic articles

6914

Ceramic articles, n.e.c. in chapter 69

7001

Glass, cullet and other waste and scrap of glass, glass in the mass

7002

Glass in balls (other than microspheres of heading no. 7018), rods or tubes, unworked

7003

Glass, cast glass and rolled glass in sheets or profiles, whether or not having an absorbent, reflecting or non-reflecting layer, but not otherwise worked

7004

Glass, drawn glass and blown glass, in sheets, whether or not having an absorbent, reflecting or non-reflecting layer, but not otherwise worked

7005

Glass, float glass and surface ground or polished glass, in sheets, whether or not having an absorbent, reflecting or non-reflecting layer, but not otherwise worked

7006

Glass of heading no. 7003, 7004 or 7005, bent, edge-worked, engraved, drilled, enamelled or otherwise worked, not framed or fitted with other materials

7007

Safety glass, consisting of toughened (tempered) or laminated glass

7008

Glass, multiple-walled insulating units of glass

7009

Glass mirrors, whether or not framed, including rear-view mirrors

7010

Carboys, bottles, flasks, jars, pots, phials, ampoules, containers of glass of a kind used for the conveyance or packing of goods, preserving jars of glass, stoppers, lids and other closures of glass

7011

Glass envelopes (including bulbs and tubes), open and glass parts thereof, without fittings, for electric lamps, cathode-ray tubes or the like

7013

Glassware of a kind used for table, kitchen, toilet, office, indoor decoration or similar purposes (other than of heading no. 7010 or 7018)

7014

Signalling glassware and optical elements of glass (other than those of heading no. 7015), not optically worked

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FAQs on Harmonized System (HS) Code

A Harmonized System (HS) code is a standardized numerical code used worldwide to classify goods in international trade. It is managed by the World Customs Organization and is used by customs authorities in over 200 countries to identify products, calculate duties and taxes, and collect trade statistics.
Yes, HS codes are used for both import and export because they are the common language customs authorities rely on to classify goods in international trade. The same six‑digit HS structure underpins the classification systems that countries use when goods enter (imports) or leave (exports), and it appears on key documents like customs declarations, commercial invoices, and certificates of origin.
The HS code is a 6-digit classification used by over 200 countries to pin-down products. On the other hand, an HTS code is specific to your country - like the US - and throws in 2 to 4 extra digits onto the base HS code to figure out duty rates and trade stats. When you are shipping internationally, the first 6 digits are the same everywhere, but the rest of the code changes depending on where your goods are headed.
The first 6 digits are the standard set by the World Customs Organization (WCO). That means no matter where you are in the world, these 6 digits are just about the only thing you'll see the same everywhere. They amount to a sort of "customs language". Now the full 10-digit code is all about how much duty you pay in a particular country but the 6 digits make sure your cargo isn't caught for basic misclassification at the border.
If you get the code wrong your shipment is more likely to get "flagged" by customs. The upshot is either a delay while they re-check the cargo, or heavy fines for the person importing the goods, seizure of the goods, or needing to pay for the duty all over again after the fact. For a freight forwarder, getting the code wrong can damage your reputation and lead to all sorts of insurance headache.
The WCO usually only updates the HS nomenclature every five years to keep up with the HS/HSN Codes FAQ Content Sample latest and greatest. They last did it in 2022. However countries update their own HTS tariff schedules much more often. They can do it as often as once a year, or even half a year if there are new trade agreements or if a country decides to impose a "Section 301" style tariff.
Not exactly. An HS code is the global base classification (usually 6 digits) created by the World Customs Organization, and it is the same across all participating countries. A tariff code is usually the full national classification used by a specific country to set duties and taxes, and it typically starts with the HS code and then adds extra digits for local detail. So every tariff code is built on an HS code, but it is more specific to one country’s tariff schedule.

Κωδικοί HS & HTS

FAQs on Harmonized System (HS) Code

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