If a carrier form, a customs broker, or your 3PL just asked for your product’s HTS code, an order may already be waiting on the answer. An HTS code is the 10-digit number US Customs uses to classify an imported product and set the duty it owes, and no international shipment moves without one.
This guide covers what an HTS code is, how to read its 10 digits, how it differs from the codes Canada and the rest of the world use, who is responsible for getting it right, and what a missing or wrong code actually does to an order on its way across the border. It matters more than it used to. As of October 2026, even low-value parcels entering the US are classified and pay duty.
What is an HTS code?
An HTS code (Harmonized Tariff Schedule code) is a 10-digit number that classifies a product imported into the United States. The US International Trade Commission (USITC) publishes the schedule, and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforces it. The code determines a product’s duty rate, its eligibility for trade agreements, and any extra paperwork it needs.
In practice, the code decides three things:
- The duty rate: the percentage of the product’s value owed when it enters the US.
- Trade-agreement eligibility: whether the product can enter duty-free under an agreement like CUSMA (called USMCA in the US).
- Partner-agency requirements: whether agencies such as the FDA or the Consumer Product Safety Commission need more information before the goods are released.
For shipping, the HTS code travels with every international parcel. It goes on the commercial invoice and customs declaration with the item description, declared value, and country of origin. That’s why it’s one of the first things a carrier, broker, or 3PL needs before it can create an international label. You’ll also see it called an HTS number, a tariff code, or an HTSUS code, and you can search the full schedule using the USITC HTS search.
How do you read an HTS code's 10 digits?
An HTS code reads from general to specific. The first six digits are the international HS code, digits seven and eight set the US duty rate, and digits nine and ten are a statistical suffix used for trade reporting.
Here’s how that works for a men’s cotton T-shirt, HTS 6109.10.00.12:
Digits | Level | Example |
|---|---|---|
1–2 | Chapter | 61: Apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted |
3–4 | Heading | 6109: T-shirts, singlets, tank tops, and similar garments, knitted or crocheted |
5–6 | Subheading (end of the HS code) | 6109.10: Of cotton |
7–8 | US tariff line | 6109.10.00: Sets the general duty rate, 16.5% as of October 2026 |
9–10 | Statistical suffix | 6109.10.00.12: Men’s T-shirts |
Small product details can move a code to a different line. A T-shirt made mostly of polyester leaves subheading 6109.10 for 6109.90, and the general duty rate nearly doubles, to 32%. Two shirts that look identical on a product page can owe very different amounts at the border, because the digit that changes is often the one that sets the rate. Duty rates change, so always confirm the current rate on the USITC search before you rely on it.
What's the difference between an HS code, an HTS code, and Canada's tariff number?
An HS code is the 6-digit international base that more than 200 countries share. The HTS code is the US’s 10-digit version of it, and Canada uses its own 10-digit tariff number. All three share the same first six digits, and each country sets its own last four.
Code | Digits | Maintained by | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
HS code | 6 | World Customs Organization | The international base for classifying traded goods |
HTS code (HTSUS) | 10 | USITC, enforced by CBP | Goods imported into the US |
Canadian Customs Tariff number | 10 | Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) | Goods imported into Canada |
Schedule B number | 10 | US Census Bureau | Goods exported from the US |
Are HS and HTS codes the same? No. They share their first six digits, but a US customs entry needs all 10. A 6-digit HS code on its own isn’t enough to clear goods into the US.
For brands that ship in both directions, this distinction gets practical fast. The same product can carry one 10-digit number when it enters the US and a different one when it enters Canada, because each country sets its own final four digits. A single “HS code” field in your store platform may hold only one of them. Know which number each shipment needs: the US HTS code for orders going to US customers, and the Canadian tariff number for goods coming into Canada.
The code a supplier gives you is usually a 6-digit HS code or a number from the supplier’s own country’s schedule. It’s a useful starting point to verify.
Who is responsible for getting the HTS code right?
The importer of record is legally responsible for the HTS code, even when a customs broker files the entry. Whoever acts as importer of record, the code itself comes from the brand’s product data, so in practice getting it right starts with the brand.
US law requires importers to use “reasonable care” when they classify and declare goods (19 USC 1484). Hiring a broker to file the paperwork doesn’t transfer that duty. Here’s how the roles usually break down:
- Suppliers often suggest a code, which the brand should verify.
- Customs brokers file entries, advise on classification, and can request rulings from CBP.
- Carriers transmit the code on the customs paperwork.
- 3PLs carry the code from the brand’s product record onto each order and flag codes that are missing or don’t match the product. A 3PL doesn’t choose the code.
If you work with a broker, it’s reasonable to assume classification is their job. Brokers do file the entry and can advise you, but CBP holds the importer accountable for the accuracy of what’s declared. For questions about a specific product, a licensed customs broker is the right person to ask.
What happens to an order when its HTS code is missing or wrong?
A missing or wrong HTS code can stop an order well before it reaches customs. Follow one international order from your product record to the border, and there are four points where a bad code causes trouble, plus a fix loop that can take weeks.
1. In your product record
The HTS code and country of origin live on each SKU in your ecommerce platform (in Shopify, that’s the product’s HS code field) and flow to your 3PL through the integration. GoBolt’s integrations with ecommerce platforms like Shopify pull that product data in automatically. Whatever sits in the product record is what ships, so a wrong code there is wrong on every order.
2. At the warehouse
An international shipment can’t be created without a code. If the field is empty, the order can’t move into fulfillment and waits for the brand to supply one. At GoBolt, the order is flagged and the missing code is requested before it moves.
3. On the label and commercial invoice
When the label is created, the tariff code, item description, declared value, and country of origin go to the carrier, which generates the commercial invoice and customs declaration. If the description says one thing and the code says another, that mismatch is what gets flagged further down the line.
4. At the border
If anything about the code doesn’t line up, a shipment can be held at the border while it’s sorted out. A wrong code usually shows up in one of three ways:
- A partner agency gets involved. One brand’s removable insoles were coded under a medical-device heading. That classification pulled in FDA requirements, including a device listing and facility registration, until the brand confirmed the product was a standard retail insole and it was reclassified under footwear parts. The same brand had also moved production to a new country without updating the country of origin in its product data, so that had to be corrected too.
- The duty is higher than planned. A code in the wrong subheading can carry a very different rate, and in 2026 a code can also trigger additional tariffs (more on that below).
- The duty is lower than it should be. Underpayment doesn’t stop the shipment, which is why it’s the most expensive error to leave alone. CBP can assess penalties for negligent misclassification under 19 USC 1592, and it generally has five years from the date of the violation to bring a case.
5. The fix loop
Correcting a code takes three parties. The brand confirms the right code, the product record is updated, and the broker or carrier approves the change before the order can move again. On the insole orders above, that loop took weeks. When a code is flagged, GoBolt’s team works with the brand and the carrier to get it corrected. The cheapest correction is the one made in the product record before the first international order ships.
Why do HTS codes matter more for brands in 2026?
As of October 2026, every US-bound parcel is classified and pays duty, and for Canadian brands the HTS code now also decides which additional tariffs apply. A code that used to be a formality on low-value orders is now a line on your landed cost.
Low-value parcels now pay duty
Until August 2025, most shipments worth $800 or less entered the US duty-free under the de minimis exemption, with little product detail required. That exemption has been suspended for all countries since August 29, 2025. CBP made the suspension indefinite on June 24, 2026, and now applies duties to shipments of $2,500 or less, with narrow exceptions for gifts and travelers. Federal law ends the exemption permanently on July 1, 2027.
Additional tariffs attach by code
Extra duties are added through secondary classifications in Chapter 99 of the HTS, layered on top of a product’s own 10-digit code. CBP’s new electronic entry process for mail shipments requires filers to list every applicable code, both the primary classification and any Chapter 99 secondary classifications.
For Canadian brands, the code shapes tariff exposure
CUSMA duty-free treatment depends on rules of origin that are written around tariff classification, so the code helps determine whether a product qualifies. Separately, a 50% US tariff on a list of Canadian products has been in effect since August 22, 2026 under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. That list is defined by HS code, and the tariff applies even to goods that qualify under CUSMA. The list changes on October 30, 2026, adding categories including personal care products, flooring, and paper products, so it’s worth checking your codes against the current version.
More changes are proposed
CBP has also proposed requiring informal entries (generally shipments worth $2,500 or less) to be filed on or before the goods arrive and to be backed by a customs bond. The proposal is open for public comment until December 7, 2026, and isn’t final.
How do you find the right HTS code for your products?
Finding the right HTS code comes down to describing the product precisely, searching the official schedule, checking how CBP has classified similar items, and getting anything uncertain confirmed in writing. Then store the answer where every order can use it.
- Describe the product precisely. Material, function, construction, and intended user all affect the code. A children’s apparel brand audited its codes after finding that baby sizes and children’s sizes classify differently, and one size range carried a tariff the other didn’t.
- Search the USITC schedule. Use the USITC HTS search, and read the section and chapter notes along with the line description. The notes often decide which heading a product belongs in.
- Check how CBP has ruled on similar products. CBP’s Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) holds its past classification rulings. Each ruling binds only the company that requested it, and the collection is still the best guide to how CBP views a product type.
- Get a binding answer for anything ambiguous. If a product could reasonably fit more than one code, or the duty difference between them is large, request a binding ruling from CBP for US imports. For goods imported into Canada, CBSA issues advance rulings on tariff classification; apply at least 120 days before the planned import date.
- Have a licensed customs broker confirm. A broker who regularly handles your product category can catch classification issues a general search misses.
- Store the code in your product record. Enter the final 10-digit code and the country of origin on each SKU, and re-check both whenever the product, its materials, or its factory change. This is the step that keeps every future order moving.
Final thoughts
An HTS code is product data. When it’s accurate in your product record, international orders move from the warehouse to the border without stopping. When it’s missing or wrong, they stall at fulfillment, on the label, or at customs, and in 2026 a wrong code costs more than it used to.
One check you can run today: export your SKU list and confirm that every product you ship internationally has a 10-digit code and a current country of origin. Flag any code that came straight from a supplier for a customs broker to confirm. For the bigger picture on selling across the border, read our guide to cross-border shipping after the tariff changes.
FAQs
How do I find my HTS code?
Search the USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule using a precise product description, including material, function, and construction, and read the chapter notes. Check CBP's CROSS database for rulings on similar products. For ambiguous products, request a CBP binding ruling or ask a licensed customs broker to confirm.
Are HS codes and HTS codes the same?
No. An HS code is the 6-digit international classification shared by more than 200 countries. An HTS code is the US's 10-digit version: the same first six digits plus four US-specific digits. US customs entries require the full 10-digit HTS code.
What does HTS stand for?
HTS stands for Harmonized Tariff Schedule, the US classification system for imported goods. It's published by the US International Trade Commission and enforced by US Customs and Border Protection. Its 10-digit codes set each product's duty rate and related import requirements.
Do I need an HTS code to ship to Canada?
Canada uses its own 10-digit tariff number under the Canadian Customs Tariff. The first six digits match the international HS code and the US HTS code, but the last four can differ, so a US HTS code isn't always the right number for goods imported into Canada.
Who is responsible for the HTS code on a shipment?
The importer of record is legally responsible, even when a customs broker files the entry. The code comes from the brand's product data, so brands should verify it. Suppliers, brokers, carriers, and 3PLs can suggest, transmit, or flag codes, but the legal responsibility stays with the importer.
What happens if I use the wrong HTS code?
A wrong code can hold an order at the warehouse, trigger partner-agency requirements such as FDA, change the duty owed, or delay customs release. Underpaid duty can lead to penalties for negligent misclassification under 19 USC 1592. Fixing it means updating the product record and getting the change approved.
