Glossary
What is the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS)?
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is the classification and duty schedule used to determine the rate of duty on goods imported into the United States. It extends the World Customs Organization’s six-digit Harmonized System to ten digits. |
How do the ten digits break down?
- Digits 1-6 – the international Harmonized System, identical across every economy that applies it.
- Digits 7-8 – the US subheading, which sets the duty rate.
- Digits 9-10 – a statistical suffix used for trade data, not for duty.
HTS or Schedule B - which do I use?
HTS for goods entering the United States, Schedule B for goods leaving it. Both run to ten digits and share the same first six, but they are not interchangeable. The HTS is maintained by the US International Trade Commission, while CBP enforces how goods are classified against it.
Why classification decides more than duty
The HTS code drives the duty rate, whether Section 301 or 232 tariffs attach, whether an anti-dumping duty order applies, and whether an agency such as the FDA has a say in admissibility. The underlying Harmonized System has been in force since 1 January 1988 and is revised roughly every five years.
iCustoms maps your UK commodity code to the matching HTS code so the same goods classify consistently on both sides. |
