HTS code (Harmonized Tariff Schedule)
An HTS code (Harmonized Tariff Schedule code, formally HTSUS) is the 10-digit number the United States uses to classify imported goods for duty assessment and trade statistics. The first six digits match the international HS code exactly; the U.S. adds four more digits of its own — a national subheading that sets the duty rate and a statistical suffix the Census Bureau uses for trade data. It is filed on the customs entry for every shipment crossing into the U.S. and is distinct from Schedule B, the code the U.S. uses for exports.
How the 10 digits break down
An HTS code extends the international HS code rather than replacing it. Take a stainless steel hex bolt entering the U.S.:
| Level | Digits | Value | Set by |
|---|---|---|---|
| HS heading | 4 | 7318 | World Customs Organization — same everywhere |
| HS subheading (HS6) | 6 | 7318.15 | World Customs Organization — same everywhere |
| U.S. tariff subheading | 8 | 7318.15.80 | U.S. International Trade Commission — sets the duty rate |
| U.S. statistical suffix | 10 | 7318.15.8020 | U.S. Census Bureau — trade statistics only |
The first six digits are the HS code — identical whether the bolt clears customs in Long Beach or Rotterdam. Digits seven and eight are the part the U.S. controls, published in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) and maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission. Those two digits are what actually set the duty rate; two products sharing an HS6 can land on different HTS8 lines with different tariffs. The last two digits, the statistical suffix, feed Census trade data and don't change what's owed.
HTS code vs. Schedule B: import and export use different codes
A U.S. importer and a U.S. exporter don't file the same 10-digit code, even for the identical product, which is a common source of catalog errors.
| HTS code (HTSUS) | Schedule B | |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | Imports into the U.S. | Exports from the U.S. |
| Maintained by | U.S. International Trade Commission | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Filed with | U.S. Customs and Border Protection, on entry | AES (Automated Export System), on export declarations above the reporting threshold |
| Relationship to HS6 | Extends it to 10 digits | Extends it to 10 digits, independently |
Both start from the same six-digit HS root, but the two agencies extend it separately, and roughly 5% of the resulting 10-digit codes diverge between the two schedules for the same product. A distributor that imports a component and re-exports the finished assembly needs to track both codes on that SKU — one is not a substitute for the other on the corresponding filing.
Why it belongs on the SKU record, not just the shipment
HTS classification is a rules exercise applied to what a product physically is, not a per-shipment judgment call, so the same SKU gets the same code on every entry. Storing it once on the product record in the PIM — rather than re-deriving it per shipment in a freight forwarder's paperwork — keeps landed-cost estimates and customs filings consistent and auditable.
The cost of getting it wrong compounds with SKU count: a misclassified code can mean an incorrect duty rate, a CBP penalty, or a shipment held at the border, and errors on a fast-moving catalog tend to surface only when a specific SKU gets flagged. Distributors selling into multiple countries also can't store just one code — the HS6 root is shared, but each destination market's national extension (HTSUS for the U.S., the EU's Combined Nomenclature, and so on) needs its own field.
Frequently asked questions
Is the HTS code the same as the HS code?
No, though they're related. The HS code is the international six-digit root, standardized by the World Customs Organization and used by roughly 200 countries. The HTS code (HTSUS) is the United States' own 10-digit extension of that root, adding a two-digit tariff subheading that sets the duty rate and a two-digit statistical suffix. Every HTS code starts with a valid HS6, but not every HS6 has only one possible HTS extension.
Do I use the HTS code for both importing and exporting?
No. The HTS code (HTSUS) is for goods entering the United States, filed with Customs and Border Protection. Goods leaving the United States are classified with a separate 10-digit code, Schedule B, maintained independently by the Census Bureau. Both extend the same six-digit HS root, but they're maintained by different agencies and can diverge past the sixth digit for the same product.
Who assigns the HTS code for a product?
There's no central authority that assigns it to you — the importer of record is responsible for classifying the product correctly, typically with help from a licensed customs broker or trade compliance specialist. The classification follows the World Customs Organization's General Rules of Interpretation, applied to what the product physically is.
Does the HTS code determine the exact duty rate?
It determines the tariff line the product falls under, and each line has an associated general duty rate. The actual amount owed can still depend on the country of origin, applicable trade agreements, and any additional tariff actions in effect at the time of entry, so the HTS code is necessary but not always sufficient to calculate final landed cost.