Topic: Procurement and trade terms · Published · Updated · Version 1
HS codes in international sourcing
The Harmonized System (HS) is a multipurpose international product nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO). It identifies commodity groups with a six-digit code and is used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for Customs tariffs and for the collection of international trade statistics (What is the Harmonized System (HS)?). An HS code is a classification used in trade procedures. It is not a product specification or a certificate, and this page does not classify any listing or calculate duty.
What official sources say the HS is
The WCO’s official explainer states that the HS “comprises more than 5,000 commodity groups; each identified by a six digit code, arranged in a legal and logical structure and is supported by well-defined rules to achieve uniform classification,” and that “over 98% of the merchandise in international trade is classified in terms of the HS” (What is the Harmonized System (HS)?).
Official interpretation of the HS, the WCO says, is given in the Explanatory Notes it publishes. This article is not that interpretation.
The U.S. International Trade Administration’s Harmonized System (HS) Codes page states that the HS is administered by the WCO and is updated every five years, that it assigns six-digit codes, and that countries may add longer codes after those first six digits. The current edition year is UNKNOWN on this page, because a year was not taken from the WCO page opened for this article. If you already know the edition, name it in the request.
Six digits are shared; longer codes can differ
Trade.gov states that, expanding from the 6-digit level, the United States requires a 10-digit number to classify products being imported or exported. For U.S. exports, the Schedule B is used, administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. For U.S. imports, Trade.gov says the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) is used. The same page says that a complete 10-digit U.S. Schedule B number and a U.S. HTS number “may not be the same for every physical product,” but that “the first 6 digits (the Harmonized System Subheading/code) will be the same” (Harmonized System (HS) Codes).
Trade.gov also states that “the 6-digit Harmonized System Subheading will be the same whether you are importing or exporting into any country of the World Customs Organization.” A national 8-digit or 10-digit code from one country is not, on that account, automatically the import code of another country. This page does not assign a code to a product.
The U.S. Census Bureau publishes a Schedule B page and a search tool for U.S. export commodity codes. That tool is a U.S. export resource. It is not a worldwide classifier, and it is not used here to label any listing.
How a code should appear in a request
If you already have a code, you may copy it into a sourcing request. Say which system the digits come from (a six-digit HS subheading, a U.S. Schedule B number, a U.S. HTS number, or another national tariff code) and, if you know it, the edition or year. Do not treat a six-digit heading as if it were a 10-digit national number.
A code does not replace the rest of the request. You still need the product description, size, quantity, destination, and any Incoterms® 2020 rule and place you want considered. See How to send a sourcing request. This site does not classify listings, and this page will not suggest a heading for an unnamed item. If you do not have a code, leave the field blank rather than guessing.
What an HS code does not do
An HS code does not, by itself, prove that goods may enter a destination market, that a permit is in place, or that a product meets a technical standard. Those questions sit with the competent authorities and with the product specification. This page does not determine import permission and does not make any licensing claim about Global Market or about any listing.
An HS code is also not a mill certificate or a duty invoice. Neither the WCO explainer nor Trade.gov’s HS page reviews a Global Market catalogue record.
On 10 November 2026 the homepage described the visible listings as a synthetic storefront demonstration, not real offers. This article does not classify those records, does not restate listing figures, and does not calculate freight or duty.
Frequently asked questions
Are six digits enough in every country? Six digits are the shared international HS level described by the WCO and by Trade.gov. Trade.gov notes that countries may add longer codes, and that the United States requires 10 digits for its import and export classifications. Use the level the destination process requires, and say which system you are quoting.
Is a U.S. Schedule B number the same as a U.S. HTS number? Not necessarily at 10 digits. Trade.gov says they may differ for a given product, and that the first six digits should be the same.
Can this site tell me the correct code for my item? No. This page does not classify products and does not assign a heading to any listing.
How often does the HS change? Trade.gov states that the HS is updated every five years. Confirm the current edition with the WCO or the competent customs authority.
Sources
Read 10 November 2026, Asia/Singapore (UTC+8).
- What is the Harmonized System (HS)? — World Customs Organization
- Harmonized System (HS) Codes — U.S. International Trade Administration
- Schedule B — U.S. Census Bureau
Related
How to send a sourcing request · Incoterms 2020: what buyers should name in a request · Sourcing guides