A practical guide to HS codes

What an HS code is

The Harmonized System (HS) is the international product nomenclature maintained by the World Customs Organization and used by customs authorities in more than 200 countries and economies. It organizes goods into 21 sections, 97 chapters, about 1,200 four-digit headings and more than 5,000 six-digit subheadings.

The first six digits are shared internationally. Countries then add their own digits: the United States uses eight-digit tariff lines and ten-digit statistical suffixes in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), published by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).

How to read a six-digit code

Take 6109.10 as an example. The first two digits (61) are the chapter — knitted or crocheted apparel. The first four digits (6109) are the heading — T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments. The last two digits (.10) are the subheading — of cotton.

Each level narrows the description. You classify from the top down: first find the right heading, then compare subheadings only within that heading.

The rules that decide classification

Classification follows the General Rules of Interpretation (GRIs). GRI 1 says the heading text and the section and chapter notes come first — titles are only a guide. Most products are classified under GRI 1 alone.

When a product could fit more than one heading — a mixture, a composite good or a retail set — GRI 3 applies: the most specific description wins, then the component giving the essential character, then the heading that comes last in numerical order. GRI 6 applies the same logic at the subheading level.

Why the product name is not enough

Retail names describe how a product is marketed, not the facts the tariff uses. A “tee” can be knitted or woven; a “vegan leather” bag usually has a plastic outer surface; an “insulated” bottle may or may not contain a vacuum.

The facts that most often change a result are material and composition (with percentages), construction (knitted, woven, molded, assembled), function and principal use, and condition as sold (finished, unfinished, a part, or a set).

How to describe a product for research

Write down what the article is, what it does and who uses it; every material with its share by weight or surface area; how it is made; dimensions, capacity or power where relevant; and everything included in the retail package.

Say “unknown” rather than guessing. An honest gap tells you which question to ask the supplier, and a guessed fact can send research down the wrong branch.

Official sources to check

The USITC publishes the current HTSUS release, including section and chapter notes. U.S. Customs and Border Protection publishes its classification rulings in the CROSS database, which shows how CBP has treated similar products. Rulings are tied to the facts presented, so read them for their reasoning rather than copying a code.

Where HTS Assist fits

HTS Assist searches the active USITC release, legal notes and CBP rulings, then ranks six-digit HS candidates with a confidence score and the facts still missing. It stops at six digits on purpose: under CBP ruling HQ H350722, providing eight- or ten-digit codes for specific goods to be imported is customs business. The importer or a licensed customs broker must determine the classification used for any entry.

Product guides by category

• Apparel & accessoriesGuides to six-digit HS candidates for T-shirts, hoodies and other garments, and the fabric, fiber and garment facts that change the result.
• Footwear & bagsGuides to six-digit HS candidates for sneakers, handbags and backpacks, and why upper material, sole material and outer surface drive the result.
• Home & kitchenGuides to six-digit HS candidates for water bottles, mugs and candles, and the material and function facts that move them between chapters.
• Electronics & accessoriesGuides to six-digit HS candidates for phone chargers and phone cases, and why function, construction and retail packaging decide the result.