Switzerland customs tariff codes: use Tares

Your EU shop already has a commodity-code field, and a Swiss customer has placed an order. The carrier now needs information for Swiss customs. Copying the saved code may produce a plausible-looking number without establishing the Swiss classification. Build a small product record that explains the result you approved: what the goods are, which Swiss entry applies and which additional conditions need attention. This guide concerns that catalogue decision, rather than estimating the transport price or repeating the general Switzerland shipping rules.

Can you use the code already stored for your EU exports? #

The FOCBS explanation of Tares describes eight-digit Swiss tariff numbers and the internationally shared first six digits. Those six digits help you start a search. The official brief guide adds a useful limitation: an origin-country export number is information for Swiss customs, and classifications or interpretations can differ. Keep the source code visible while you establish the destination entry instead of silently treating them as identical.

Create separate fields for your EU export classification and the approved Swiss import classification. Record who approved the Swiss result and which product description they reviewed. This avoids overwriting a correct EU field with a Swiss number and then sending that altered number back into another export process. If your catalogue supports only one code, resolve how the carrier will receive the required destination information before releasing the order. A populated field is useful only when its intended jurisdiction is clear.

Which date, country and direction should you choose in Tares? #

Tares asks for the date, origin or destination country and transport direction. For the Swiss arrival you are investigating imports into Switzerland, even though the same movement is an export from your EU shop. Keep that viewpoint explicit. Use the relevant origin information, with your declarant confirming the appropriate selection for your goods. Selecting the country where your webshop is incorporated is not a substitute for understanding the field. Save the selected parameters alongside the result.

The date is part of the lookup, so retain it when you save a classification review. An old screenshot may reflect earlier headings or measures. When a supplier changes a product, compare the new item with the description you previously assessed and check the current tariff information. You do not need to start every product review from an empty screen. You do need to know whether the saved decision still describes the actual goods and the applicable tariff version.

What happens when the eight-digit entry needs a statistical key? #

The FOCBS guide explains two ways to open the details. If the relevant tariff entry has a magnifying-glass symbol, select it. If it does not, open the entry and the applicable key to reach the detailed view. The statistical key is therefore more than an optional note in a spreadsheet when it determines which details you inspect. Check the available distinctions against your real product rather than choosing whichever line happens to appear first.

Store an applicable key next to the Swiss tariff number. If your shipping workflow cannot transmit it, ask the declarant how that information should be provided. The person packing the order should not decide between technical subentries from a product photograph. Give them an approved product reference and a clear way to report a mismatch. When the received stock differs from the specification, review the classification before that product is used for the Swiss order.

How do you check that a search result actually fits the product? #

A text match starts the investigation; the legal descriptions determine the result. The FOCBS tariff overview identifies legally binding notes containing definitions, exclusions and distinguishing criteria. It also separates classification decisions from explanatory material. Read the relevant notes for a borderline item, then retain the feature that determines your conclusion. A general shop category such as accessories may not tell you enough about material or function to choose the entry.

Prepare the information a competent classifier needs: supplier specification, composition, intended function and a clear description of what is actually sold together. For an uncertain product, ask the Swiss customs specialist to review that package of information. FOCBS provides binding tariff information; an informal product search is a different kind of answer. Ask which route is suitable for your uncertainty. A binding EU decision should not be described to your customer as a binding Swiss determination.

1. 1

   Describe the actual item

   Use the supplier information for the product variant you will dispatch. Resolve missing material or function details before selecting between entries that distinguish those features.

2. 2

   Locate the Swiss heading

   Start with a known HS prefix or a text search, inspect the whole relevant chapter and identify the candidate eight-digit entry. Keep the EU number as a separate reference.

3. 3

   Open the applicable details

   Check the date and country parameters, open any required statistical key and read the associated notes and measures. Document the reason the selected entry fits.

4. 4

   Approve the data for dispatch

   Give the declarant the approved number and supporting information. Release the packing instruction only after any classification question affecting that shipment has been resolved.

Does zero industrial duty mean the product needs no further checks? #

No. Swiss industrial tariffs were abolished for the affected goods from 1 January 2024, but Tares also displays VAT, other charges, restrictions and authorisation information. Read those parts of the result. A zero customs-duty line answers the duty question; it does not explain every condition attached to the goods. The seller record should identify anything that needs action before shipping, such as obtaining a required document or checking the product with the responsible specialist.

The Swiss SME portal describes the additional information provided by a tariff search. Tares itself does not explain every customs procedure, form or shipment-document requirement. Once the product classification is settled, confirm the actual export and import workflow with your carrier or declarant. Your saved tariff result belongs with those instructions, rather than replacing them. For transport and the broader Swiss import context, see the existing EU-to-Switzerland guide.

Can an English translation or downloaded spreadsheet settle a dispute? #

FOCBS says the English Tares translations are an aid and are not binding; the underlying acts and ordinances govern. Its tariff overview also labels the supplied Excel data as non-binding, with the legal texts controlling. Use those files to organise your catalogue, but retain access to the actual legal description behind a disputed decision. If English wording leaves a distinction unclear, have the responsible specialist examine the official-language text before you confirm the entry.

Avoid making an imported spreadsheet your only record. A column containing a code cannot explain which product variant was assessed or which statistical key applied. Keep the specification and decision evidence with the item so that your team can reproduce the conclusion. This also lets you identify products affected by a tariff update without replacing unrelated records. The practical aim is a traceable decision, with a clear point at which someone must review a changed product.

Does a Swiss tariff code determine your AirPost packing cost? #

No: product classification and parcel format describe different things. Using AirPost constants checked on 14 October 2026, a small parcel has a recommended sender fee of €2.25. Adding the €0.85 platform fee gives €3.10 before the carrier label. For the regular parcel recommendation, the same calculation gives €3.85, a difference of €0.75. These figures are packing-cost examples, excluding import tax, clearance and materials.

Agree the actual sender fee and use the appropriate transport service for the finished parcel. Changing the carton does not itself establish a different tariff classification for the product. When you arrange fulfilment with AirPost, provide the approved article data and ask the sender to flag substitutions. The pricing page explains the separate cost components. A route price that already includes the platform fee should not have that fee added again.