HS Codes Explained: How to Research a Product’s Global Trade

The Harmonized System (HS) is a global product classification used by virtually every customs authority. Because every shipment is tagged with an HS code, that code is the single most powerful filter in trade research.

How the code is built

An HS code is hierarchical. The first two digits are the chapter (broad category), the next two narrow it to a heading, and the following two give the internationally standard subheading — six digits in all. Countries add more digits for their own tariff detail.

Find the right code

Start broad with the chapter that fits your product, then narrow to the six-digit subheading that matches most precisely. Getting this right matters: the wrong code returns the wrong shipments and, at customs, the wrong duty.

Use it to research

• Pull all shipments under the code to see the leading exporting and importing countries.
• Compare volumes across markets to size opportunities.
• Drill into a country to reach the specific companies trading that code.

See it in action on our HS code pages, each showing the top trading countries for that product.