Harmonised System

Customs

Standardised international system of names and numbers for classifying traded products. Maintained by WCO.

Sources

1. World Customs Organization — What is the Harmonized System? wcoomd.org accessed 17 September 2026

The WCO describes the HS as “a multipurpose international product nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization”, comprising “more than 5,000 commodity groups; each identified by a six digit code, arranged in a legal and logical structure”. It is “used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for their Customs tariffs and for the collection of international trade statistics”, and “Over 98 % of the merchandise in international trade is classified in terms of the HS.” It is governed by the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, and the WCO updates it “every 5 – 6 years”. That revision cycle is the practical point for an exporter: a code is correct for an edition, not forever, and a classification settled under one edition should be rechecked against the current one.

Common questions

What is an HS code and how do I find the right one?

HS (Harmonised System) codes are 6-digit international product classification codes. In India, the ITC-HS code is 8 digits. In the EU, the CN (Combined Nomenclature) is 8 digits; TARIC is 10 digits. To find your HS code: (1) search the CBIC ICEGATE HS browser (icegate.gov.in), (2) check ITC-HS at DGFT website, (3) search EU TARIC at trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets. Correct HS code is the first step for any export.

Related terms

• Advance Authorisation
• Anti-Dumping Duty
• ATA Carnet
• Authorised Economic Operator
• Bill of Entry
• Binding Tariff Information

From the AJG lexicon archive (July 2026).