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.

HSおよびHTSコード

9608

Pens, ball-point, felt tipped, other porous tipped pens, fountain pens, stylograph pens duplicating stylos, propelling or sliding pencils, parts of the foregoing, excluding those of heading no. 9609

9609

Pencils (not of heading no. 9608), crayons, pencil leads, pastels, drawing charcoals, writing or drawing chalks and tailors' chalks

9610

Slates and boards, with writing or drawing surfaces, whether or not framed

9611

Stamps, date, numbering, sealing stamps and the like (including devices for printing or embossing labels), designed for operating by hand, hand operated composing sticks and printing sets

9612

Typewriter, similar ribbons, inked, otherwise prepared for giving impressions, whether or not on spools or in cartridges, ink pads, whether or not inked, with or without boxes

9613

Cigarette lighters and other lighters, whether or not mechanical or electrical and parts thereof other than flints and wicks

9614

Smoking pipes (including pipe bowls) and cigar or cigarette holders, and parts thereof

9615

Combs, hair-slides and similar, hairpins, curling pins, curling grips and hair curlers and the like, other than those of heading no. 8516 and parts thereof

9616

Scent sprays and similar toilet sprays and mounts and heads therefor, powder-puffs and pads for the application of cosmetics or toilet preparations

9617

Vacuum flasks and other vacuum vessels, complete with cases, parts thereof other than glass inners

9618

Tailors' dummies and other lay figures, automata and other animated displays used for shop window dressing

9619

Sanitary towels (pads) and tampons, napkins and napkin liners for babies and similar articles, of any material

9620

Monopods, bipods, tripods and similar articles

9701

Paintings, drawings, pastels, executed entirely by hand, not drawings of heading no. 4906 and not hand-painted, hand-decorated manufactured articles, collages and similar decorative plaques

9702

Engravings, prints and lithographs, original

9703

Sculptures and statuary, original, in any material

9704

Stamps, postage or revenue, stamp-postmarks, first-day covers, postal stationery (stamped paper) and like, used or unused, other than those of heading 4907

9705

Collections and collectors' pieces, of zoological, botanical, mineralogical, anatomical, historical, archaeological, palaeontological, ethnographic or numismatic interest

9706

Antiques, of an age exceeding one hundred years

9999

Commodities not specified according to kind

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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.

HSおよびHTSコード

FAQs on Harmonized System (HS) Code

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