- Start with the actual transaction: identify destination customs territory, import or export direction, declaration channel, product, origin, and expected entry or export date.
- Collect classification facts before searching: product type, material or composition, function, construction, included components, power/battery details, and retail-set presentation.
- Find a six-digit HS subheading candidate. Use the HS Code Finder to organize candidate facts, then compare the result with official heading text and legal notes.
- Open the destination system. For a US import use HTS; for a US export use Schedule B; for the EU compare CN and TARIC; for the UK use the correct Trade Tariff journey; for Canada or Australia use the current national tariff.
- Follow the official hierarchy from section/chapter notes through heading, subheading, national subdivision, and any measure or statistical suffix. Do not add zeros to manufacture a longer code.
- Record the full candidate with system name, destination, direction, source URL, edition or lookup date, and the product facts that support it.
- Keep different codes in different catalog columns. The CSV Catalog Checker can surface missing destination and origin fields before a larger review.
- Before filing or exporting, verify the current code and any additional declaration codes in the official source or with the responsible qualified party.
Guide
How Many Digits Are in an HS Code by Country?
Understand the international six-digit HS base and the longer import, export, tariff, and statistical codes used in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
Answer Summary
Preparation checklist
The first six digits identify the internationally shared HS subheading for countries using the Harmonized System. The WCO updates the HS periodically, while each customs territory maintains its own longer code system.
Digits after six are not interchangeable. They can identify a national tariff item, statistical suffix, trade measure, declaration requirement, or import/export-specific subdivision.
A supplier’s six-digit code is a useful starting point, not a filing-ready result. Destination, import versus export direction, product facts, origin, and the current official edition still need review.
Use this workflow
Required fields or decision table
Fields to prepare before the document draft
| Field or decision | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| International HS base: 2, 4, and 6 digits |
|
| United States imports: 10-digit HTS | Use the current Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States for import classification. The national digits after the six-digit HS level determine US tariff and statistical detail. |
| United States exports: 10-digit Schedule B | Use the current Census Schedule B for exports from the United States. The first six digits align at the HS subheading level, but the final four digits can differ from the import HTS number. |
| European Union: 8-digit CN | The Combined Nomenclature extends the HS to eight digits for EU customs classification and trade statistics. It is updated annually. |
| European Union: 10-digit TARIC | TARIC adds the ninth and tenth digits and integrates EU tariff and commercial-policy measures. Additional TARIC or national codes may still be required for a declaration. |
| United Kingdom: commodity code and additional codes | Use the UK Trade Tariff for the actual GB or Northern Ireland journey. The length and additional codes depend on the declaration, goods, and measures; do not reuse an EU code without checking the applicable UK service. |
| Canada: 10-digit import classification number | The first six digits are the HS heading/subheading, digits seven and eight are the Canadian tariff item, and digits nine and ten are the statistical suffix. |
| Australia: 8-digit classification plus statistical code | The Australian tariff classification is eight digits in Schedule 3 and is paired with a statistical code in declaration data. Use the current ABF Working Tariff and declaration guidance. |
| Catalog field design | Store the six-digit HS base, destination system, full candidate, code edition/date, import/export direction, source URL, and verification status in separate fields. Do not overwrite one market’s code with another. |
Step-by-step preparation
How to prepare the draft
Ecommerce example
How this looks in a seller workflow
A seller receives a six-digit supplier code for a stainless steel bottle and sells the same SKU into the United States, European Union, Canada, and Australia. The seller does not copy the six digits into every platform’s full-code field.
The catalog keeps one reviewed HS-base candidate, then separate working columns for US HTS import, US Schedule B export when relevant, EU CN/TARIC, Canadian classification, and Australian tariff/statistical data. Each column includes a source and review date. If material, insulation, lid construction, or destination changes, the row returns to review instead of inheriting the previous result.
- One SKU can retain a shared six-digit starting point.
- Each destination gets its own national or regional extension.
- Import and export systems remain separate.
- Source and review date travel with each working code.
- Changed product facts trigger re-review rather than silent reuse.
Verification checklist
Verify the destination-specific code record before it is exported or filed
- The record identifies import versus export direction.
- The destination customs territory is explicit, including GB versus Northern Ireland where relevant.
- The six-digit HS base is stored separately from the full national candidate.
- The code came from the current official system and has a lookup date.
- Product material, function, construction, and set components support the candidate.
- No zeros were added merely to satisfy a field length.
- Origin and tariff measures are checked after the full classification path.
- Platform exports map the correct destination code field and do not overwrite the source record.
- A qualified review path is available for ambiguous or high-consequence classifications.
Source-backed checks
What external guidance supports this workflow?
- Trade.gov: Harmonized System codesExplains the international six-digit HS base and the separate 10-digit US HTS import and Schedule B export systems.
- European Commission: Combined NomenclatureExplains that the EU CN extends HS to eight digits and is updated annually.
- European Commission: TARICExplains the integrated EU tariff database and its daily transmission to national administrations.
- CBSA: reading Canadian classification numbersBreaks the Canadian 10-digit number into HS, tariff-item, and statistical-suffix levels.
- Australian Border Force data dictionaryIdentifies the eight-digit Australian tariff classification field and its statistical-code relationship.
- UK Trade TariffUse the live UK service for current commodity codes, duty, VAT, suspensions, and measures.
Internal workflow links
Use the same catalog data in the next review step
- Classification CasesPaid workspace: keep product facts, candidates, risk review, and the source trail in one preparation record.
- Catalog ReviewPaid workspace: review repeated SKUs or platform CSV rows and use credits only when a listed processing action runs.
- Mapped Review ExportsPaid workspace: export reviewed catalog fields for TariffCatalog, Shopify, WooCommerce, or Amazon workflows.
- Compare PlansCompare one-time and monthly credit options for repeated catalog work.
- Official SourcesOpen the destination tariff, ruling, and government reference before filing.
- MethodologySee how candidates, source dates, and estimate-only boundaries are maintained.
- CorrectionsReport a source, wording, or workflow issue for editorial review.
Common mistakes
What to avoid
- Treating every code longer than six digits as an HS code with the same meaning.
- Padding a six-digit supplier code with zeros to create a filing number.
- Using a US HTS import number as a Schedule B export number without checking Census.
- Reusing an EU TARIC number for the UK, Canada, or Australia.
- Storing one code field for every destination and losing source/version history.
- Assuming the same six digits remain correct after material, function, construction, or set contents change.
- Checking origin and duty while the national classification candidate is still unresolved.
Editorial
Editorial review note
Written by the TariffCatalog Editorial Team for ecommerce document preparation workflows. The page is designed as a preparation checklist, not a filing outcome.
Maintained by Ryan Cole, with review focused on ecommerce catalog, document, and source-check workflow clarity.
Document requirements may be required differently by carrier, destination, shipment value, and product facts. Use the methodology, sources, and corrections pages to understand how the page is maintained.
Official source note
References to verify
Use official sources, carrier guidance, postal operator rules, and destination requirements to verify before filing or shipping.
USITC HTS
Use this official source when checking final classification, duty treatment, or customs requirements.
CBPUse this official source when checking final classification, duty treatment, or customs requirements.
EU TARICUse this official source when checking final classification, duty treatment, or customs requirements.
UK Trade TariffUse this official source when checking final classification, duty treatment, or customs requirements.
FAQ
Common questions
Is an HS code always six digits?
The international HS subheading is six digits. Countries and customs territories add digits for national tariff, statistical, and measure requirements.
Why do some HS codes have eight or ten digits?
Digits after six are national or regional subdivisions. Their meaning depends on the official system and declaration context.
Can I use a six-digit HS code on a customs declaration?
Sometimes a platform accepts six digits, but a formal declaration or destination workflow may require a longer national code and additional codes. Verify the actual requirement.
Are US HTS and Schedule B numbers the same?
Not necessarily. Both are 10 digits and share the first six HS digits, but the final four import and export subdivisions can differ.
What is the difference between EU CN and TARIC?
CN is the EU eight-digit classification. TARIC adds further EU measure detail at 10 digits and may be accompanied by additional codes.
How many digits does Canada use?
Canada reports a 10-digit import classification number: six HS digits, two tariff-item digits, and two statistical digits.
How many digits does Australia use?
Australia uses an eight-digit tariff classification and pairs it with a statistical code in declaration data.
Can one ecommerce SKU have several national codes?
Yes. Keep a shared HS-base candidate plus separate destination/import/export fields, each with its official source and review date.
Disclaimer
TariffCatalog provides informational tools and preparation workflows only. Verify final classification, rates, document requirements, and filing treatment with official sources or licensed professionals.