What is an HS code, and how do you find yours?
What each part of the code means, how the 6-digit HS code relates to EU, US and other national codes, four steps to the right code, and why a wrong code ruins a buyer search.
Alper AzakoğluForeign trade consultant
4 min read
Updated:
What is an HS code?
The HS code is the product code of the Harmonized System, maintained by the World Customs Organization. It tells customs which class of goods a product belongs to. Import duties, licences, trade agreement preferences and trade statistics all depend on it.
The first 6 digits are the same in almost every country in the world. For an exporter this is valuable: with your 6-digit code, you can search the same product in the customs records of Germany, Brazil or Kazakhstan.
What the digits mean
Take fire extinguishers as an example. Their code starts with 8424.10.
The first 6 digits (8424.10) are the same worldwide. The digits after that differ from country to country.
- First 2 digits, chapter: The broad group. Chapter 84 covers machinery and mechanical appliances.
- First 4 digits, heading: The product family within the chapter.
- First 6 digits, subheading: The last level shared worldwide. This is the code you use when looking for buyers abroad.
- Further digits: Regional and national splits that differ by country.
| Code system | Digits | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide (Harmonized System) | 6 | The common base in almost every country |
| European Union (Combined Nomenclature) | 8 | TARIC adds further digits for EU measures |
| United States (HTS) | 10 | Schedule B codes are used for US exports |
| Türkiye (GTİP) | 12 | The first 8 digits follow the EU Combined Nomenclature |
Watch out
If you search foreign customs records with your full national code, you may find nothing, because every country splits the code differently after the sixth digit. Search with the first 6 digits.
Four steps to the right code
- Describe your product. What it is made of, what it does and how it works. Classification follows these features, not the product’s name.
- Find the chapter. Use the list of 21 sections below to find your section, then the chapter within it.
- Narrow down in the official tariff. Read the chapter notes in your country’s tariff and move down to the heading and subheading.
- Confirm it. Make the final decision with your customs broker. When in doubt, ask your customs authority for a binding tariff ruling.
The cost of a wrong code
When we look for buyers in customs records, we search by code, not by product name. With a wrong code, one of two things happens: no records appear and you wrongly conclude that the market does not exist, or you contact companies that import a different product.
That is why every buyer research we do starts by confirming the product’s code with you. When needed, we search two or three close codes together.
Have your HS code? The next step is the buyer
We find the companies importing that code in the customs records of 177 countries and 31 regions, research each one and deliver the list.
21 sections, 97 chapters
The Harmonized System divides goods into 21 sections and 97 chapter numbers; chapter 77 is reserved for future use. Finding your section is the first step to finding the right chapter.
| Section | Chapters | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| I | 01–05 | Live animals; animal products |
| II | 06–14 | Vegetable products |
| III | 15 | Animal and vegetable fats and oils |
| IV | 16–24 | Prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco |
| V | 25–27 | Mineral products and fuels |
| VI | 28–38 | Products of the chemical industries |
| VII | 39–40 | Plastics and rubber |
| VIII | 41–43 | Raw hides, leather, furskins and articles thereof |
| IX | 44–46 | Wood, cork and basketware |
| X | 47–49 | Pulp of wood, paper and paperboard |
| XI | 50–63 | Textiles and textile articles |
| XII | 64–67 | Footwear, headgear, umbrellas |
| XIII | 68–70 | Articles of stone, plaster, cement, ceramics and glass |
| XIV | 71 | Pearls, precious stones and precious metals |
| XV | 72–83 | Base metals and articles thereof |
| XVI | 84–85 | Machinery, mechanical appliances and electrical equipment |
| XVII | 86–89 | Vehicles, aircraft and vessels |
| XVIII | 90–92 | Optical, measuring and medical instruments; clocks; musical instruments |
| XIX | 93 | Arms and ammunition |
| XX | 94–96 | Miscellaneous manufactured articles (furniture, toys and more) |
| XXI | 97 | Works of art, collectors’ pieces and antiques |
Frequently asked questions
Is an HS code the same as a tariff code?
The first 6 digits are the same. The HS code is the 6-digit international part; each country adds its own digits to make its national tariff code, such as the 8-digit EU code or the 10-digit US code.
My product seems to fit two codes. Which one is right?
Classification follows the section and chapter notes first, then the General Interpretative Rules. Decide with your customs broker, and if needed ask your customs authority for a binding tariff ruling. For buyer research, we can search both codes.
What if my buyer uses a different code?
Because the first 6 digits are shared, you usually meet at the same subheading. Differences tend to be in the national digits after the sixth.
Can I order buyer research without knowing my HS code?
Yes. Describe your product; we confirm the code with you before the research starts.
Sources
- World Customs Organization, Harmonized System: wcoomd.org
- European Commission, Combined Nomenclature and TARIC: taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu
- United States International Trade Commission, Harmonized Tariff Schedule: hts.usitc.gov
Author
Alper Azakoğlu
For 30 years he has worked as foreign trade consultant and foreign trade manager for manufacturers in industrial zones across Türkiye. He writes these guides from his own work in the field.