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HS Code Lookup
Find the Harmonized System code for any product. Used by customs authorities worldwide to classify goods and calculate duties.
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Understanding HS codes
The Harmonized System sits at the heart of every international shipment. Get the code right and your duty rate, paperwork, and clearance time fall into place. Get it wrong and you risk overpaying, underpaying (with penalties), or having goods held at the border. A short primer:
Anatomy of an HS code
An HS code is a hierarchy. Every customs system in the world starts from the same six digits and then extends locally. Take a smartphone — HS 8517.13:
The first six digits are the same in every country that uses the WCO's Harmonized System — that's 200+ countries. The last digits differ: the US uses 10 (HTS), the EU uses 8 (CN), the UK uses 10 (Trade Tariff). For a free duty estimate the 6-digit code is enough; for a real customs declaration you need the destination's full local code.
How to search effectively
Three habits that make HS searches go faster:
- Use generic terms. "Trainers" returns shoes; "Adidas Ultraboost" returns nothing. The HS doesn't know brands.
- Lead with the function, not the marketing name. A "smart speaker" is a "wireless audio device". A "fitness tracker" is a "wearable activity recorder" or just "watch with electronic functions".
- Describe the material when classification depends on it. A handbag at HS 4202 splits by material — leather, plastic, textile — and the duty rate differs.
Common classification pitfalls
A handful of categories cause most of the misclassification disputes we see referenced in customs rulings. Worth checking carefully if your product falls into one:
Multifunction electronics
A device that's a phone, camera, music player and games console at once gets classified by its principal function — usually the one used most or marketed most. Smart watches, smart glasses, and AR/VR headsets often fall in this trap. The wrong heading can shift duty from 0% (under the WTO Information Technology Agreement) to 5–15%.
Composite items and sets
A gift box with a candle, a book and a soap is not classified component-by-component. WCO rules say it's classified as the item that gives the set its essential character — or, failing that, by the heading occurring last in numerical order. This catches a lot of e-commerce sellers off guard.
Footwear and apparel
HS 6403/6404 splits shoes by sole material, upper material, height of the upper, and intended use (sports / general). Apparel splits by knitted vs woven, fibre type, and gendered cut. Duty rates can vary by 10+ percentage points across two adjacent codes. If you sell shoes or clothing, get a customs ruling.
Parts versus accessories
A "part" — without which the parent item won't function — gets classified with that parent (often duty-free or low). An "accessory" — that the item works without — has its own classification, usually higher duty. The line between the two is fought over routinely in customs rulings.
Food and supplements
Whether something is "food preparation", "medicament", or "food supplement" can swing duty by 20+ points and trigger different licensing. Protein powders, herbal teas, and CBD products are common headaches.
Getting an official ruling
For commercial shipments where the duty difference between two candidate codes is more than the cost of getting it wrong, request a binding ruling. It's free, written, and protects you against future re-classification challenges. The two main programmes:
- United States — CBP CROSS / Binding Ruling. File via CBP's electronic ruling portal. Free. Takes 30–60 days.
- European Union — Binding Tariff Information (BTI). Apply to any EU member state's customs. Valid across the whole EU for 3 years. Free.
- United Kingdom — Advance Tariff Ruling (ATaR). Apply via gov.uk. Valid for 3 years. Free.
- Other countries: Most have an equivalent — check the customs authority's website.
HS vs HTS vs CN — which one do I use?
The 6-digit HS code is universal — use it anywhere. For US imports, find the matching 10-digit HTS code at hts.usitc.gov. For EU imports, look up the 8-digit Combined Nomenclature (CN) code in TARIC. For UK imports, use the UK Trade Tariff service. The first six digits of the local code will always match the international HS code — only the trailing digits differ. HS vs HTS explained →