To find your commodity code, use one of two free official search tools: the U.S. International Trade Commission’s Harmonized Tariff Schedule search at hts.usitc.gov if you’re importing, or the Census Bureau’s Schedule B search at census.gov/scheduleb if you’re exporting. Both return the ten-digit code you need for entry or export filing. The work is in feeding the search a precise product description and then reading the tariff schedule carefully enough to pick the right subheading. Federal law requires the importer of record to classify every shipment correctly using reasonable care, so the code you land on has to hold up.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 USC 1484 – Entry of Merchandise
Import or Export Decides Which Tool You Use
International trade runs on the Harmonized System, a six-digit framework maintained by the World Customs Organization and used by more than 200 countries. Those first six digits are the same everywhere: a cotton t-shirt starts with the same six digits whether it’s headed to Germany, Japan, or the United States.2World Customs Organization. What is the Harmonized System (HS)? The U.S. then adds four more digits, and those extra digits differ depending on direction of trade.
Imports use the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). All merchandise entering the country is classified under it, and the ten-digit code determines the duty rate and any trade-preference eligibility.3eCFR. 19 CFR Part 152 – Classification and Appraisement of Merchandise Exports use the Census Bureau’s Schedule B. The last four digits are not the same between the two systems, so a code you used on an import entry cannot be reused for an export filing, and vice versa.4United States Census Bureau. Finding Your Schedule B Number
One boundary worth flagging: low-value shipments used to skip classification entirely under the Section 321 de minimis exemption. That’s no longer the case. As of February 2026, duty-free de minimis treatment has been suspended for commercial shipments regardless of value or country of origin, with a narrow exception for bona fide personal gifts of $100 or less sent through the international postal network.5The White House. Continuing the Suspension of Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries6U.S. Customs and Border Protection. E-Commerce Frequently Asked Questions If you’re importing inexpensive goods, you still need a code.
Collect Product Details Before You Search
The single biggest reason people end up with the wrong code is starting the search without enough information about the product. A vague description forces you into a catch-all heading, which usually carries a higher duty rate than a properly narrowed one. Before you open the search tool, gather:
- Material composition, including the approximate percentage of each material by weight or volume when the product combines several. Many tariff chapters are organized by material first.
- The product’s function and intended use. A ceramic figurine for decoration classifies differently than a ceramic bowl used in the kitchen.
- Technical specifications: dimensions, power ratings, weight, capacity, industry-standard designations. These distinguish subcategories within a chapter.
- Country of origin. This doesn’t change the code itself, but it determines the applicable duty rate and whether any trade-preference program reduces what you owe.
Have a commercial invoice, a spec sheet, and ideally a photograph in front of you. The more precise the description, the deeper you can drill into the schedule.
Using the USITC HTS Search for Imports
The U.S. International Trade Commission hosts the official searchable version of the HTSUS at hts.usitc.gov. It lets you search by keyword, browse by chapter, and view the full ten-digit code with its duty rate and any trade-program preferences. The tool covers every chapter, including Chapters 98 and 99, which contain special classification provisions and temporary tariff modifications.7United States International Trade Commission. New HTS Search Tool Available
Start with a keyword describing either the product’s material or its function. The search returns every heading and subheading containing that term. Then work from broad to narrow. Identify the correct chapter first (Chapter 84, for instance, covers machinery and mechanical appliances8United States International Trade Commission. HTS Chapter 84 Machinery and Mechanical Appliances), then the four-digit heading, then the six-digit subheading, and finally the ten-digit statistical suffix.
Before you commit to a code, read the Section notes and Chapter notes at the top of that portion of the schedule. Those notes contain exclusions and special definitions that can override what the heading text alone appears to say. A product whose name matches a heading exactly can still be excluded from that heading by a note two pages earlier.
Using the Census Schedule B Search for Exports
For goods leaving the country, the Census Bureau maintains a Schedule B search engine that works similarly. Enter keywords describing your product and narrow the results until you reach a ten-digit code.9United States Census Bureau. Schedule B Schedule B is updated every January and July to reflect new commodity classifications, so verify you’re working from the current version before filing.10United States Census Bureau. New Commodity Classification Codes for the January 2022 Schedule B
Both tools are free, and they are the only databases that carry legal weight. Third-party tariff lookup sites may use outdated codes or apply their own interpretive shortcuts. When the duty rate on a shipment is on the line, go to the source.
What to Do When Two Codes Both Look Right
The HTSUS is not just a lookup table. It comes with General Rules of Interpretation that function as the legal framework for deciding between headings when a product could plausibly fit more than one. Two rules resolve most close calls.
The first is specificity. When a product could fall under two headings, the more specific description wins over the more general one.11Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 4 (2026). General Rules of Interpretation A stainless steel kitchen knife goes under the heading for knives rather than the broader heading for articles of steel.
The second is essential character. Composite goods made of multiple materials or components are classified by whichever material or part gives the product its primary identity. A leather handbag with a fabric lining classifies as leather goods because the leather defines it. If you’re importing anything that combines electronics, plastics, metals, and textiles, spend extra time on this rule. It’s where most misclassifications on mixed-material products come from.
Check CROSS Before You Go Further
Once you have a candidate code, or if you’re stuck between two, search the Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) at rulings.cbp.gov. The database contains CBP classification rulings going back to 1989, and a similar product may already have been ruled on.12U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) Home A ruling on a closely comparable product tells you how CBP has treated the classification question in the past and often points to the right heading faster than working through the schedule from scratch.
When the Answer Isn’t Clear: Request a Binding Ruling
If your product doesn’t fit neatly into one heading, or the duty stakes are high enough that you need certainty, you can request a binding classification ruling from CBP. This is a formal legal determination of exactly which HTSUS code applies to your product, and it binds all U.S. ports of entry once issued.13U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Binding Ruling Program
Requests go to CBP’s National Commodity Specialist Division in writing, and can also be submitted through the eRulings electronic program.14U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Requirements for Electronic Ruling Requests You need to provide a complete product description, the materials and their relative quantities, the intended use, the selling price, and any other classification-relevant details. Photographs or physical samples are often necessary for products with unusual features.15eCFR. 19 CFR Part 177 – Administrative Rulings
Standard rulings are issued within 30 calendar days of receipt. Cases requiring laboratory analysis, consultation with another agency, or referral to CBP Headquarters can take up to 90 days. The ruling remains valid until the product changes or the underlying law is amended.14U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Requirements for Electronic Ruling Requests
When to Hire a Licensed Customs Broker
If self-classification feels too risky, you can hire a licensed customs broker. Federal law defines classification, valuation, and entry preparation as “customs business,” and anyone conducting customs business on behalf of others must hold a CBP-issued license.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 US Code 1641 – Customs Brokers Brokers classify goods every day and know how CBP interprets ambiguous headings.
What a broker cannot do is take on your legal liability. Even when you use one, you as the importer of record remain responsible for the accuracy of every entry document filed with CBP.17U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Tips for New Importers and Exporters Understand the basis for the code your broker selects, and keep the supporting documentation in your own files. Treating a broker as a black box is how classification errors go undetected for years.
Why the Code Has to Be Right
Standard HTSUS duty rates range from zero to around 20 percent for many consumer goods, but layered tariffs push effective rates far higher on specific products. Section 232 duties impose 25 percent on imported automobiles and auto parts and 50 percent on steel, aluminum, and certain copper products, and some product-and-country combinations carry duties of 100 percent.18U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Customs Duty Information Shifting a product by one subheading can move it into or out of one of those elevated categories.
On top of the duty exposure, federal law imposes civil penalties for misclassification that scale with the importer’s level of culpability, from negligence up through fraud.19Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 19 USC 1592 – Penalties for Fraud, Gross Negligence, and Negligence Two habits keep you out of that territory: build the classification decision on documented product facts, and revisit the code when the product, materials, or trade rules change.