Here’s Everything You Need to Know About HS Classification

HS Classification system has many other names such as HS Codes, Harmonized System, and Harmonized Commodity Description. This is a standardized global system to categorize traded commodities. The system was first implemented in that year 1988 and is presently maintained by the WCO (World Customs Organization). It has 211 member countries and each country approves to categorize its HS tariff code and duty structure according to HS code groups.

It is used to ease international trade by creating unified categories to classify several different kinds of products. This system has about 5,000 product groups in 6 digit codes broken down into 96 harmonized system chapters, 21 harmonized system sections, as well as thousands of headings.

How are Codes Structured in HS Classification System?

This coding system has 4 components that have listed below. To understand it properly, let’s take an example of 0901210050 HS code:

·        Chapter- In the above mentioned harmonized system code; the chapter is 09 i.e. for “Coffee, tea, mate and spices”.

·         Heading- HS code’s heading commands the particular category within any specific chapter. 01 refers to coffee in the above example of the HS code.

·         Sub-heading- In this HS code, 21 is a sub-heading for caffeinated coffee beans.

·         Extra digits- Countries can use extra 2 or 4 digits for country-specific categorization. HS code in the USA relies on 10 digit codes called Schedule B numbers. In the above HS code, 0050 is used for non-organic coffee. These digits are unique as non-organic coffee in another country has same 6 digits but the last 4 digits would likely be different.

Here are listed chapters that fall under HS Classification System

SECTION	CATEGORY	CHAPTERS
1	Animal & Animal Product	1-5
2	Vegetable Products	6-14
3	Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils	15
4	Prepared Foodstuff	16-24
5	Mineral Products	25-27
6	Chemicals & Allied Industries	28-38
7	Plastics/Rubbers	39-40
8	Raw Hides, Skins, Leather & Furs	41-43
9	Wood & Wood Products	44-46
10	Pulp of Wood or of Other Fibrous Material	47-49
11	Textiles	50-63
12	Footwear/Headgear	64-67
13	Stone/Glass	68-70
14	Natural or Cultured Pearls	71
15	Base Metals	72-83
16	Machinery/Electrical	84-85
17	Transportation	86-89
18	Precision Instruments	90-92
19	Arms and Ammunition	93
20	Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles	94-96
21	Works of Art	97

These are some major details that one should know about HS Code Search system. If you want to any product’s HS code then you simply use HS code finder tool online.