HTS code (Harmonized Tariff Schedule)
An HTS code is the standardised classification number assigned to a commodity for customs purposes. The first six digits are globally harmonised under the WCO Harmonized System; further digits are country-specific.
The WCO Harmonized System covers about 5,000 commodity groups, each identified by a six-digit code. Member countries (essentially all major economies) use those six digits as the base of their national tariff schedules.
Country-specific extensions add detail: the U.S. uses a 10-digit HTSUS, the EU uses an 8-digit Combined Nomenclature (CN), Canada uses a 10-digit code. The first six digits agree across countries; the last four (or two, for the EU) differ.
Classification determines duty rate, quotas, anti-dumping duties, and any product-specific restrictions. Misclassifying — even unintentionally — triggers back duties and penalties, sometimes years after the original entry.
Related terms
- Commercial invoiceA commercial invoice is the seller's bill to the buyer for an international shipment, listing goods, quantities, prices, and terms. It is the central document for customs valuation in most jurisdictions.
- Certificate of originA certificate of origin is a document certifying the country in which the goods were manufactured. It is used for preferential tariff treatment under trade agreements (USMCA, EU FTAs, others) and for general customs clearance.
- Customs declarationA customs declaration is the formal filing with a country's customs authority to declare imported goods. In the U.S. it is CBP Form 7501 (Entry Summary); in the EU, the Single Administrative Document (SAD).
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