HTS code vs HS code: what does a US webshop need?

Your European supplier sends a spreadsheet with a field labelled HS code. Your US customs broker requests a longer number. Both may be using a valid classification system, but they are answering different parts of the import task. This guide is for a US online retailer buying physical goods dispatched from the EU. It explains how to hand over a product record that supports the American entry, without claiming that an EU catalogue code proves the US classification. Start by identifying the country and purpose of each code field in your own purchasing workflow.

What is the difference between an HS code and an HTS code? #

The USITC classification FAQ distinguishes the international heading and subheading structure from the American extensions. The US tariff text reaches the eight-digit level; an additional statistical suffix completes the reporting number. Keep those layers in separate fields when your software allows it. A generic field called tariff code can conceal whether a supplier entered an international subheading, an EU commodity number or a full American reporting number.

Changing the display format does not change the underlying nomenclature. Removing punctuation can be useful when a booking form requests digits only, but it cannot turn a European extension into an American one. Store the original supplier reference with its label. Then save the reviewed US result beside it. This lets a colleague explain a difference later instead of assuming that one party simply typed the code incorrectly.

Can you append zeros to the supplier’s six-digit code? #

Do not generate a classification by padding the number. Open the relevant part of the current US schedule and read the available subdivisions. Your product may belong in a more specific American category, and the statistical detail may require information absent from the supplier’s spreadsheet. Ask for that information before the purchase reaches the shipping desk. Passing a software validation that checks number length only does not show that the number describes the goods.

A useful catalogue record separates facts from conclusions. Facts include material, construction, dimensions where relevant, function and the way the item is supplied. Conclusions include the chosen provision and the reason for excluding neighbouring categories. If a supplier changes a material or adds a component, you can see which factual basis changed. A saved code without this explanation may keep flowing into documents even after the product no longer matches the original decision.

Which product information should you send to the broker? #

1. 1

   Identify the exact version

   Use a variant reference and revision date. Provide clear photographs or specifications of the product being bought, rather than a marketing image covering several versions.

2. 2

   Describe construction and use

   List relevant materials, components and how the article functions. Explain whether pieces are imported together, assembled or separately packaged.

3. 3

   Preserve the supplier’s evidence

   Record the supplied classification and its stated jurisdiction. Request the reasoning or supporting product sheet, without presenting it as a US customs decision.

4. 4

   Record the American review

   Save the chosen provision, statistical detail, applicable notes, schedule edition and person who reviewed the entry information.

Suppose your shop sells an accessory offered in several materials. That is an illustrative workflow, not a classified product example. Do not give every variant the same code merely because they share a storefront title. Give the broker the actual differences and ask whether they affect the result. If the broker needs another detail, make that question part of your supplier onboarding. The next purchase then arrives with the information required for review instead of another incomplete spreadsheet.

Treat sets similarly: describe what is in the retail package and how it is presented. One SKU can contain multiple articles. One shipping carton can also contain unrelated SKUs. Those commercial choices do not settle the legal classification. Keep the physical configuration clear in your handover so the reviewer can assess the actual import, rather than reconstructing it from the website’s bundle name.

Why does the date of the HTS lookup matter? #

On 10 October 2026, the USITC tariff information page announced Revision 21, published on 9 October 2026. The same page links to an archive of earlier editions. This is a concrete reason to save the version used for your lookup. A screenshot of a number without the schedule edition is harder to interpret after an amendment. Check the version relevant to the entry with your broker before repeating an older catalogue conclusion.

Avoid attaching a permanent duty promise to a catalogue code. The product record can remain useful while tariff measures or reporting details change. Keep the classification review, entry-date duty review and commercial quote distinguishable. When an amendment affects your product, record what changed and which pending shipments need another check. That approach is more informative than replacing a code in the master spreadsheet without keeping any explanation of the previous decision.

Is Schedule B suitable for a parcel coming into the United States? #

The Census Schedule B page describes its search tool as support for exporters determining export commodity codes. It also lists obsolete codes and concordance resources. Use those resources for the movement they address. A US import purchase from the Netherlands requires the American import classification review. Do not choose Schedule B simply because its search tool finds your commercial product name more quickly.

If your business both imports and re-exports goods, label each record by direction and jurisdiction. Ask the entry specialist which number is needed on each declaration. Similar prefixes can make two fields look interchangeable, especially when a purchasing system stores only one value. Preserve both supported conclusions where necessary. Do not overwrite the import record with an export search result and expect the shipping team to recognise the difference from the digits alone.

Does the ordinary tariff provision tell you the entire duty amount? #

USITC’s FAQ explains that goods are classified in chapters 1–97 while chapters 98 and 99 can affect treatment when their conditions apply. Give your broker the product origin and transaction details alongside the ordinary provision. This article does not publish a fixed US duty rate or assume an exemption for a small parcel. Your complete entry treatment must be checked against the applicable measures and supporting evidence for that shipment.

Keep the invoice description consistent with the reviewed product specification. If the broker classified a particular construction, a vague line such as accessories offers little help when the goods are checked. The existing commercial invoice checklist illustrates how product, quantity and transport records should agree. Its UK–EU context does not determine US entry rules; use the American sources for the classification and treatment discussed here.

How can you budget the EU-to-US parcel before duty is confirmed? #

AirPost’s Netherlands-to-US options retrieved on 10 October 2026 listed a suitable PostNL small parcel at €63.29 and a FedEx International Connect Plus small parcel at €74.29. The difference is €11.00. Both displayed amounts include AirPost’s platform fee of €0.85; the agreed sender’s preparation fee is additional. Prices here remain in the euro currency shown by the route page, without an invented dollar conversion.

For one eligible PostNL parcel, using the recommended small-parcel preparation amount gives €63.29 + €2.25 = €65.54. This is a dispatch subtotal, before packaging and any import-related charges. It gives your buyer a supported logistics reference while the duty review remains open. Your actual preparation agreement and accepted booking determine what you pay. A different product classification does not let you substitute a domestic US label price for a box that still departs from Europe.

With AirPost local fulfilment, a shop can agree packing and dispatch with a sender holding its stock. Choose the real departure country in the booking and supply the required customs information. The classification work belongs in your purchasing and product record before packing starts. The sender should receive a clear version of the approved product information, so the final box and documents describe the goods the importer actually ordered.