Schedule B code (U.S. export classification)
A Schedule B code is the 10-digit number the U.S. Census Bureau requires to classify goods on export declarations and compile U.S. export statistics. Its first six digits are the international HS code, same as an import HTS number, but the last four digits diverge: Schedule B is built for counting what leaves the country, HTS for assessing duty on what enters it. The two numbers are related, not interchangeable, and using one in place of the other on the wrong filing is a common compliance error.
What a Schedule B code actually is
A Schedule B code is a 10-digit number from the Census Bureau's Statistical Classification of Domestic and Foreign Commodities Exported from the United States. Every physical product that leaves the U.S. by truck, rail, vessel, or air needs one for export reporting purposes, regardless of who the manufacturer is or where the goods are headed.
The number builds on the same international Harmonized System (HS) that underlies import classification. The first six digits are the HS code and match worldwide. Digits seven and eight add U.S.-specific detail; the Census Bureau controls these on the export side, separately from how Customs and Border Protection extends the same six digits for imports.
Schedule B exists for one purpose: so the U.S. government can measure what the country ships abroad. It feeds the export side of U.S. trade statistics the same way an HTS code feeds the import side.
Schedule B vs. HTS code
The two systems share a root and diverge in use. Mixing them up is the single most common classification error exporters make.
| Schedule B | HTS (HTSUS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Governs | Exports | Imports |
| Maintained by | U.S. Census Bureau | U.S. International Trade Commission |
| Used for | AES filing, export statistics | Customs entry, duty assessment |
| First 6 digits | International HS code | International HS code |
| Full length | 10 digits | 10 digits |
| Can the numbers match exactly? | Sometimes | Sometimes |
Because the U.S. import tariff schedule has far more subdivisions than the export schedule, several distinct HTS numbers often collapse into a single Schedule B number. The reverse — one Schedule B number expanding into several valid HTS numbers — also happens. A code that is valid for import entry is not automatically valid on an export filing, and the Census Bureau's own guidance is to use the shared first six digits as the anchor when a number doesn't carry straight across.
When you need one, and how it reaches your catalog
A Schedule B number is required on the Electronic Export Information (EEI) filed through AESDirect whenever a single Schedule B classification on a single shipment is valued over $2,500, whenever an export license is required regardless of value, or when the goods are a used self-propelled vehicle. Below that threshold, many routine commercial shipments are exempt from EEI filing, though the exemption is about the filing requirement, not about whether the product still needs a classification on file.
For a distributor or manufacturer selling internationally, the Schedule B code is product data, not a one-off customs task: it belongs next to the HTS code, ECCN, and country of origin in the item master, because freight forwarders and customs brokers pull it per SKU on every international order. Catalogs that only carry an HTS code force someone to look up the export equivalent at ship time, under deadline, for every shipment — exactly the kind of lookup that produces the swapped-code errors AES flags.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my HTS code instead of a Schedule B number?
Sometimes, but not reliably. Guidance differs by source: some exporters report that an HTS number is accepted in place of a Schedule B number on an export filing, while Census's own tools are built around the Schedule B schedule specifically. The reverse substitution — using a Schedule B number on an import entry — is not accepted. Treat the two as distinct classifications and verify the correct Schedule B number through Census's own search tool rather than assuming the import number carries over.
Do I need a Schedule B number for every export shipment?
Every exported product needs a Schedule B classification on record, but EEI filing through AESDirect is only required when a single Schedule B number on one shipment is valued over $2,500, when an export license applies, or for used self-propelled vehicles. Below that threshold, many shipments are exempt from filing, though a correct classification should still exist in your product data for the shipments that do cross it.
Who assigns Schedule B numbers?
The U.S. Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Division maintains and publishes the Schedule B schedule. Unlike a GTIN or an ASIN, there's no per-product application: the exporter (or their customs broker/freight forwarder) classifies each product against the published schedule, the same way a company self-classifies for HTS.
What happens if I use the wrong code on an export filing?
AESDirect can reject the filing outright if the code is invalid for export use, which delays the shipment. A code that is technically valid but wrong for the product creates a bad entry in U.S. export statistics and can draw scrutiny on repeat offenses. For licensed or dual-use goods, an incorrect classification is a compliance issue distinct from, and more serious than, a statistical one — that risk sits with the ECCN, not the Schedule B number.