HS vs HTS vs TARIC: Which Code Length Do You Need?
Six digits to ten — depending on which country you're shipping into. Here's what the HS, HTS, and TARIC codes actually represent, when to use each length, and how to translate between them.
Short version. The HS(Harmonized System) is the WCO’s 6-digit international classification of every traded good. HTSis the US’s 10-digit extension. TARICis the EU’s 10-digit extension (built on the 8-digit Combined Nomenclature). All three share the same first 6 digits. You write the longest code your destination country uses; the 6-digit HS works as a fallback.
What each acronym stands for
- HS — Harmonized System. Maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO). 6 digits, ~5,200 subheadings, organised into 97 chapters across 21 sections. Updated every 5 years. The current version is HS 2022. Every WCO member country (~200 of them) uses these 6 digits identically.
- HTS — Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. 10 digits. First 6 = the HS. Digits 7–8 are statistical subheadings; digits 9–10 are statistical reporting numbers used by the US International Trade Commission. Published by USITC and updated multiple times per year for tariff actions.
- CN — Combined Nomenclature. EU’s 8-digit extension. First 6 = the HS, digits 7–8 = EU subheadings. Published annually in the EU’s official journal.
- TARIC. EU’s 10-digit extension of the CN. Digits 9–10 encode measures — duty rates, anti-dumping duties, quotas, suspensions, and prohibitions. TARIC is what an EU customs broker actually files against.
Side-by-side
| System | Length | Authority | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HS | 6 digits | WCO | Universal classification; the basis for everything else. |
| HTS-US | 10 digits | USITC | US import tariff and statistical reporting. |
| Schedule B | 10 digits | US Census Bureau | US export reporting (AES filings). |
| CN | 8 digits | European Commission | EU base tariff classification. |
| TARIC | 10 digits | European Commission | EU import duty rates + measures (anti-dumping, quotas, etc.). |
| UK Global Tariff | 10 digits | HMRC | UK import classification post-Brexit. |
| China Tariff | 10 digits | General Administration of Customs | China import / export classification. |
| Japan Tariff | 9 digits | Japan Customs | Japan import classification. |
Worked example: a cotton T-shirt
A men’s knitted cotton T-shirt is HS subheading 6109.10 — six digits, recognised everywhere.
- HTS-US:
6109.10.0040(men’s cotton T-shirt, knitted, of carded yarn). - EU TARIC:
6109.10.00.10(with TARIC measure suffix; for plain cotton T-shirts it’s zero additional duty). - UK Global Tariff:
6109.10.0090. - China:
6109.10.0099.
Same shirt, four codes — but only because each tariff system has its own statistical or measure suffixes. The 6-digit core (6109.10) never changes.
How to write the code on your invoice
Three rules of thumb:
- Use the destination country’s full local code if you know it. 10-digit HTS for US shipments, 10-digit TARIC for EU, 10-digit UK Global Tariff for UK, 9-digit for Japan, 10-digit for China.
- Use 6-digit HS as a fallback. Every customs broker on earth can extend a 6-digit code to the local tariff at entry time. Slower than full-length but always acceptable.
- Don’t mix systems. If you’re shipping to the US, don’t put the EU TARIC code on the invoice — it looks valid but maps to a different statistical reporting number, confusing the broker.
Schedule B: the one nobody asks about
The US has a separate code system for exports: Schedule B, also 10 digits. The first 6 are the HS; the last 4 are statistical for the Census Bureau’s trade-data reporting. You file Schedule B on AES exports; you file HTS on imports. The two are not interchangeable — Schedule B has fewer subheadings — but the HS-aligned 6-digit prefix is identical.
FAQ
Can I use the same 6-digit code on shipments to any country?
Yes — the first 6 digits of every HS code are globally harmonised under the WCO Harmonized System. Customs in any WCO member country will recognise a 6-digit subheading. The longer codes (HTS for the US, TARIC for the EU, UK Global Tariff for the UK) only extend the classification with country-specific suffixes for their internal duty schedules.
What happens if I write a 6-digit code on a US shipment that needs 10 digits?
Most customs brokers will accept a 6-digit code and extend it to the full 10-digit HTS at filing time, but it slows clearance and increases the risk of misclassification at the destination. For shipments where you know the HTS, write the full 10 digits — it's faster and more accurate.
Do HS, HTS, and TARIC use the same numbering at the 6-digit level?
Yes. The first 6 digits of HTS-US, TARIC, UK Global Tariff, China's tariff schedule, and every other national tariff that derives from the HS are identical. The divergence starts at digit 7. This is what makes the HS work as a global trade language.
What to do next
For most invoices, the 6-digit HS subheading is enough — and our wizardautocompletes it from a keyword. For specialised destinations or high-value shipments where every tenth of a percent matters, look up the full local code via the destination country’s tariff portal. The HS chapter index and HS Codes Explained walk through the chapter system; the US and Germany country pages link to the official lookup tools for each system.
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