How to find your HS code
This page teaches you the method. It does not look up codes for you, because the code that applies to you depends on your product and your country. Follow the steps and you will know what to ask your broker.
What an HS code actually is
The Harmonized System is a shared numbering system for traded goods. The first six digits are agreed internationally, so the same product carries the same six digits almost everywhere. Individual countries then add extra digits for their own tariff and statistics.
That split matters. A code you found on a marketplace listing or copied from another seller is usually not checked, and it may stop at six digits when your customs authority needs eight or ten.
Who is responsible
You are. The importer of record is normally the party legally responsible for declaring the correct code, and a wrong code can mean back duty, interest, penalties and more inspections. A supplier or a freight forwarder can suggest one, and a licensed broker can advise, but the declaration is made in your name.
The method, step by step
Material, construction, and function. "Stainless steel, double wall, vacuum insulated, drinks container, 500 ml" is usable. "Travel mug" is not.
The rules ask what the product essentially is. A glass drinks bottle and a steel flask are different chapters even though both hold liquid. If a product could fit two headings, the rules tell you which one wins, and your customs authority publishes those rules.
Search by keyword, then read the chapter and section notes that belong to that heading. The notes change the answer more often than people expect.
Look at the rate, and check whether any trade agreement, quota, or additional duty applies to your country of origin. This is also where anti-dumping or countervailing measures can appear.
Most customs authorities accept a request for a binding classification ruling. It takes time, but it gives you certainty, and it normally binds only in the country that issued it.
A worked example
Say you are importing a stainless steel, vacuum insulated travel mug, 500 ml, sold as a drinks container.
- It is a vacuum flask, so it belongs with vacuum vessels rather than with ordinary tableware.
- The international heading for vacuum flasks is 9617, and the international subheading is 9617.00.
- Your country then adds its own digits. The United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia each publish their own extended code under 9617.
Treat that as an illustration only. Confirm the exact digits and the current rate for your own country before you declare anything.
Common mistakes
- Classifying by what the product looks like rather than what it is made of or does.
- Copying a competitor's or a marketplace listing's code.
- Letting the supplier choose the code, then discovering it was chosen to look cheap.
- Stopping at six digits when your country needs more.
- Forgetting that rates and measures are reviewed and change.
Where to look
| Market | Official source to check |
|---|---|
| United States | HTSUS, published by the US International Trade Commission, and the CBP CROSS ruling database. |
| European Union | TARIC, plus your national customs authority's own tariff tool. |
| United Kingdom | The UK Trade Tariff on GOV.UK. |
| Canada | The CBSA customs tariff. |
| Australia | The ABF tariff, with working tariffs on the ABF website. |
These are examples. If you import elsewhere, use your own authority's current database, and check local rules rather than relying on this list.
What to do next
Write the code down, write the rate down, and note the date you checked it. Then put both into your landed cost calculation, because the duty and tax lines are usually the ones people forget.