What is an HTS code?

An HTS code is the number that identifies a product in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). It tells U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) what you are importing, and it sets the base duty rate you pay. A laptop, for example, is 8471.30.0100 (plain form 8471300100).

The full code has 10 digits. The first six come from an international system used by more than 200 countries and economies. The last four are set by the United States.

Who publishes the HTS

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) maintains the schedule. A note in the U.S. Code at 19 U.S.C. 1202 says a current version "is maintained and published periodically by the United States International Trade Commission." The official version is online at hts.usitc.gov.

It changes often. USITC published a 2026 Basic Edition and then 20 revisions through Sep 28, 2026, the date of the current one, 2026 Revision 20.

The HTS is built on the Harmonized System (HS), an international product list developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO). According to the WCO, the HS has more than 5,000 commodity groups, each with a six-digit code, and more than 200 countries and economies use it as the basis for their customs tariffs.

How the 10 digits break down

Take the laptop code, 8471.30.0100:

• 84 is the chapter. Chapter 84 covers "Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof."
• 8471 is the heading: automatic data processing machines and units thereof.
• 8471.30 is the six-digit subheading. This is the international HS level.
• 8471.30.01 is the eight-digit tariff line. Its description is "Portable automatic data processing machines, weighing not more than 10 kg, consisting of at least a central processing unit, a keyboard and a display." This is where the duty rate is set.
• 8471.30.0100 is the 10-digit statistical reporting number: the eight-digit line plus a two-digit statistical suffix.

The eight-digit line is legal text. The two-digit suffixes are statistical annotations, which the schedule's General Statistical Notes separate from "the legal text." Even so, CBP's entry summary instructions ask filers to report "the appropriate full 10-digit HTS item number" for each line. In practice you need all 10 digits to import.

What a code tells you

Each eight-digit line shows its duty rates in three places:

• General: the normal rate for most countries. For cotton T-shirts (6109.10.00) it is 16.5%. For laptops (8471.30.01) it is Free.
• Special: lower rates under trade agreements and preference programs, marked with program symbols. The symbol S, for example, marks the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
• Column 2: higher rates for a short list of countries named in General Note 3(b) of the schedule. For cotton T-shirts it is 90%, and for laptops 35%.

The 10-digit statistical line also shows the unit of quantity you report, such as dozens and kilograms for T-shirts or a count (No.) for laptops.

The base rate is often not the whole duty

Chapters 1 through 97 hold the regular product codes. Chapter 99 holds temporary changes and additional duties, such as Section 301 and Section 232 tariffs. Its notes say that under these provisions "additional duties or other import restrictions are imposed."

When a Chapter 99 duty applies, you report its number "in addition to" the regular 10-digit code (HTS Chapter 99, statistical note 1). So one product can owe its base rate plus one or more Chapter 99 duties.

These programs change on their own schedule. For example, Executive Order 14389 of Feb 20, 2026 ordered that the additional ad valorem duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in nine earlier executive orders "shall no longer be in effect." Any duty table from before that date may be wrong. Our code pages show the base rate and the additional programs together, with sources and dates. Browse them by chapter in HTS codes, or estimate the full duty with the duty calculator.

Who decides which code applies

The importer does, at least at first. By law, the importer of record must file the "declared value, classification and rate of duty" and must act "using reasonable care" (19 U.S.C. 1484). CBP then reviews the entry and fixes the final classification (19 U.S.C. 1500).

If you pick the wrong code, you may pay the wrong duty, and errors can lead to penalties. See our guides on how to find your HTS code and on the importer of record. If a classification is unclear, CBP can issue a binding ruling, and a licensed customs broker can help.

HTS code, HS code and Schedule B

People use these terms loosely. The HS code is the six-digit international base. The HTS code is the 10-digit U.S. import code built on it. The Schedule B number is the 10-digit U.S. export code, published by the Census Bureau. Our guide to HS vs. HTS codes explains the differences.

Questions

How many digits is an HTS code?

A full HTS code has 10 digits, and CBP asks for all 10 on each line of an entry summary. The first six digits come from the international Harmonized System. Digits seven and eight form the U.S. tariff line that carries the duty rate. The last two are a statistical suffix.

Is an HTS code the same as an HS code?

Not quite. The HS code is the six-digit international code maintained by the World Customs Organization. The HTS code is the U.S. import code: the same first six digits plus four more set by the United States. Other countries add their own digits, so a code from another country's tariff may not match the U.S. one.

Where can I look up an HTS code?

The official schedule is published by the U.S. International Trade Commission at hts.usitc.gov. HTSLookup's code search and chapter pages are built from that schedule and add the additional tariffs, such as Section 301 and Section 232, that apply by country of origin.

Who is responsible for choosing the right HTS code?

The importer of record. U.S. law requires the importer of record to declare the classification and rate of duty using reasonable care. CBP reviews the entry and fixes the final classification when it liquidates the entry. For uncertain products, importers can ask CBP for a binding ruling or get help from a licensed customs broker.