HS vs. HTS codes

An HS code, from the international Harmonized System (HS), is a six-digit product code. An HTS code, from the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), is the 10-digit U.S. import code built on it: the same six digits plus four set by the United States. A Schedule B number is the 10-digit U.S. export code: the same first six digits again, but its own last four.

So for a U.S. business, the first six digits are the common language. The last four depend on the direction the goods are moving.

HS: the six-digit international base

The Harmonized System (HS) is developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO). It is governed by an international treaty, the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System. The WCO says it has more than 5,000 commodity groups, each identified by a six-digit code, and more than 200 countries and economies use it as the basis for their customs tariffs.

The WCO also publishes the Explanatory Notes, which it calls "the official interpretation of the HS." They are available by subscription from the WCO.

The HS is updated every five to six years. The next edition, HS 2028, enters into force on Jan 1, 2028. The WCO says it has 1,229 headings and 5,852 subheadings, with 428 new subheadings and 172 deleted compared with HS 2022. By law, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) must recommend changes to keep the U.S. schedule in line with amendments to the HS (19 U.S.C. 3005), so expect some U.S. codes to change as well.

HTS: 10 digits for U.S. imports

The HTS is maintained by USITC. It uses the HS structure and adds:

• Digits 7 and 8: the U.S. tariff line. This is legal text, and it is where the duty rate sits.
• Digits 9 and 10: a statistical suffix, used to collect trade data.

You report the full 10-digit number on each line of your entry summary (CBP Form 7501). The HTS also has two U.S.-only chapters: Chapter 98 for special provisions and Chapter 99 for temporary changes and additional duties such as Section 301 and Section 232. See what an HTS code is for how the digits and rate columns work.

Schedule B: 10 digits for U.S. exports

Schedule B is the U.S. Census Bureau's export classification. Exporters report it in the Electronic Export Information (EEI), filed through the Automated Export System (AES).

The Census Bureau's Schedule B introduction says "the first six digits of the commodity numbers in chapters 1 through 97 of both the HTS and the Schedule B are identical with respect to descriptions and codes." Beyond six digits, the two can differ.

Two rules connect them:

• You can usually export with an HTS number. The Foreign Trade Regulations let you report the 10-digit HTS number "in lieu of the Schedule B commodity classification number," except as noted in the HTS (15 CFR 30.6). The HTS itself says numbers from chapters 98 and 99 "may only be used on import entries."
• You can't import with a Schedule B number. In the HTS's words, "Schedule B numbers may not be reported on import entries in place of HTS numbers."

When is EEI needed at all? Generally, it isn't required when the goods under one Schedule B or HTS number, shipped from one U.S. exporter to one ultimate consignee on one conveyance, are worth $2,500 or less (15 CFR 30.37(a)). That exemption doesn't apply to shipments that need an export license and some other cases listed in 15 CFR 30.2. Census offers a free Schedule B search at census.gov/scheduleb.

One product, three codes

Take a knitted, colored cotton T-shirt for men as an example.

• HS (international): 6109.10, cotton T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, knitted or crocheted.
• HTS (U.S. import): 6109.10.0012. Under 6109.10.00, the schedule splits men's or boys' "Other T-shirts" into men's (suffix 12) and boys' (suffix 14).
• Schedule B (U.S. export): 6109.10.0013, "Other T-shirts," which covers men's and boys' together.

The first six digits match. The last four don't, because the import schedule splits men's and boys' shirts and the export schedule doesn't. Some lines do match. A men's or boys' all-white cotton T-shirt that fits the description at suffix 04 is 6109.10.0004 in both.

Why your supplier's code may not match

Other countries also base their tariffs on the HS, and can add digits of their own, as the United States does. A supplier's invoice may show a code from its own country's tariff, labeled "HS code." Treat anything past six digits as foreign until you have checked it against the U.S. schedule. In the United States, the importer of record is responsible for the classification, not the supplier.

Different U.S. filings ask for different levels of detail:

• Entry summary (CBP Form 7501): the full 10-digit HTS number.
• Importer Security Filing (ISF) for ocean cargo: at least six digits, and up to 10 (19 CFR 149.3). See our ISF filing guide.
• United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) certification of origin: the HS classification to the six-digit level, per Annex 5-A of the agreement. CBP's rule asks for six or more digits where the applicable rule of origin needs them (19 CFR 182.12). See our USMCA certification guide.

Look up any U.S. import code in our HTS code search.

Questions

Is an HS code the same as an HTS code?

No. The HS code is the six-digit international code from the World Customs Organization. The HTS code is the 10-digit U.S. import code. Its first six digits are the HS code, and the last four are set by the United States for duty rates and trade statistics.

Can I use my HTS code on an export filing?

Usually. The Foreign Trade Regulations allow the 10-digit HTS number in place of the Schedule B number, except as noted in the HTS. HTS numbers from chapters 98 and 99 may only be used on imports. The reverse isn't allowed: Schedule B numbers may not be reported on import entries.

Why doesn't my supplier's code match the US code?

Countries that use the HS can add their own digits after the six shared ones, so a foreign 8- or 10-digit code may not exist in the U.S. schedule, or may mean something else. Only the first six digits carry across borders. The U.S. importer of record must choose the correct U.S. code.

Are HS codes changing soon?

Yes. The World Customs Organization's HS 2028 edition enters into force on Jan 1, 2028, with 428 new subheadings and 172 deleted compared with HS 2022. U.S. law requires the U.S. International Trade Commission to recommend changes to keep the HTS in line with HS amendments, so some U.S. codes will change too.