The 97 HS Code Chapters: A Complete Reference

The Harmonized System (HS) is a globally-agreed classification of every traded good on the planet. It has 21 sections and 97 chapters. Every commercial invoice needs the right HS code per line item, and every customs authority uses these codes to assess duty, enforce quotas, and flag goods for inspection. This post is a reference: all 21 sections and all 97 chapters, with a short note on what each one covers.

How the system is structured

The HS breaks down into four nested levels:

• Section — roman numeral I to XXI. A broad grouping (textiles, machinery, vehicles). Sections are notused on the invoice; they’re organisational.
• Chapter — 2-digit number (01 to 97, with 77 reserved). The first two digits of any HS code.
• Heading — 4-digit number. The first four digits of an HS code.
• Subheading — 6-digit number. The internationally harmonised level. Beyond six digits, each country extends the code for its own tariff schedule (US extends to 10 digits, EU to 8–10 with TARIC, China to 10).

A commercial invoice usually carries at least the 6-digit subheading, and ideally the destination country’s full extension. More on choosing codes in HS Codes Explained.

The 21 sections at a glance

1. Section I — Live animals and animal products (chapters 01–05).
2. Section II — Vegetable products (chapters 06–14).
3. Section III — Animal, vegetable, and microbial fats and oils (chapter 15).
4. Section IV — Prepared foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco (chapters 16–24).
5. Section V — Mineral products (chapters 25–27).
6. Section VI — Chemical and allied industries (chapters 28–38).
7. Section VII — Plastics and rubber (chapters 39–40).
8. Section VIII — Raw hides, leather, furskins, travel goods (chapters 41–43).
9. Section IX — Wood, cork, straw, basketware (chapters 44–46).
10. Section X — Pulp, paper, printed matter (chapters 47–49).
11. Section XI — Textiles and textile articles (chapters 50–63).
12. Section XII — Footwear, headgear, umbrellas (chapters 64–67).
13. Section XIII — Stone, ceramics, glass (chapters 68–70).
14. Section XIV — Pearls, precious stones, precious metals (chapter 71).
15. Section XV — Base metals and articles of base metal (chapters 72–83).
16. Section XVI — Machinery and electrical equipment (chapters 84–85).
17. Section XVII — Vehicles, aircraft, ships (chapters 86–89).
18. Section XVIII — Optical, precision, medical, clocks, musical instruments (chapters 90–92).
19. Section XIX — Arms and ammunition (chapter 93).
20. Section XX — Miscellaneous manufactured articles (chapters 94–96).
21. Section XXI — Works of art, antiques (chapter 97).

Chapter 77 is reserved for future use and chapter 98 / 99 exist only in some national extensions (the US HTS uses chapters 98 and 99 for special classification provisions).

All 97 chapters by section

How to pick the right chapter for your product

Four questions get you most of the way there:

1. What is it?Plain description. “Wireless earbuds with microphone” — not “consumer electronics.”
2. What is it made of? Material shifts the chapter entirely. Leather bag → chapter 42. Plastic bag → chapter 39.
3. What does it do? A power adapter (chapter 85) is classified separately from the device it powers.
4. Is it finished or a part?Parts go in different headings from assembled products. “Parts of bicycles” is heading 87.14; a complete bicycle is 87.12.

General Rules of Interpretation (when a product could fit two chapters)

The WCO publishes six General Rules of Interpretation (GRIs) that resolve ambiguity. In plain language:

• GRI 1: Headings and section / chapter notes control first. Read them before anything else.
• GRI 2(a): Incomplete or unassembled goods are classified as the finished article if they have its essential character.
• GRI 2(b): Mixtures and composite goods go to the heading that covers the dominant component.
• GRI 3: When two or more headings apply, the most specific wins (3a); composite goods go by essential character (3b); otherwise, the heading that appears last numerically wins (3c).
• GRI 4: Goods with no direct match are classified under the heading that covers goods most akin to them.
• GRI 5: Packing containers normally presented with the goods are classified with them (a laptop bag sold with a laptop follows the laptop’s code).
• GRI 6: The same rules apply recursively at the subheading level.

Beyond the 6-digit subheading

Each country extends the HS for its own tariff:

• US — HTS: 10 digits. Published by the US International Trade Commission. Chapter 98 covers special classification provisions (US goods returned, temporary imports); chapter 99 covers temporary legislation and additional duties (including Section 301 China tariffs).
• EU — CN and TARIC: 8 digits on the Combined Nomenclature, extended to 10 with TARIC for measures. Used across all 27 member states plus aligned countries.
• UK — UK Global Tariff: 10 digits. Forked from the EU CN after Brexit.
• China — tariff schedule: 10 digits. Maintained by the General Administration of Customs.
• Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia: 9 or 10 digits, each on their own schedule.

When you write the HS code on a commercial invoice, use the full length for the destination country if you know it. A 6-digit code is universally acceptable; a 10-digit code speeds clearance.

When to get professional help

Classify yourself when the product is obvious and high-volume — our chapter index and wizard autocomplete cover ~90% of everyday goods. Call a customs broker or licensed classifier when:

• The product sits on a boundary between two chapters (say, a wearable device that could be chapter 85 or 90).
• You’re claiming preferential origin under an FTA (the classification and the origin rule interact).
• The product uses new materials or technologies not obviously described in the HS.
• You’re importing at volume where a 1% duty difference compounds.
• A binding ruling from a competitor would move your product into a higher-duty code.

What to do next

Bookmark this page and the HS chapter index— they’re the two references you’ll come back to. If you’re filling out a commercial invoice now, the wizardhas keyword-based HS autocomplete so you don’t have to memorise numbers. And if you’re shipping to a specific destination, our country template pages list the tariff length and taxation rules per country.