HS code by category
HS code for cosmetics: HTS 3304 codes and duty for makeup and skincare
Cosmetics classify in Chapter 33, and most makeup and skincare enters the US duty-free, which puts the weight on the FDA labeling rules and the exact subheading. Describe your product on the right and the AI returns the HS/HTS code, the US duty rate and its reasoning.
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FORM TW-01
The short answer
Cosmetics classify in Chapter 33. Makeup and skincare preparations sit in heading 3304: lip products in 3304.10, eye makeup in 3304.20, manicure and pedicure preparations in 3304.30, and other beauty and skincare including moisturizers and sunscreen in 3304.99. Perfume and toilet waters are heading 3303, hair products 3305, and shaving, deodorant and bath preparations 3307. Most cosmetics enter the US at a zero base duty rate, so the base rate is rarely the issue. What matters at entry is FDA compliance: cosmetics must meet Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act labeling rules, and any product making a treatment claim can be regulated as a drug instead.
Anatomy of a code: a facial moisturizer
3304.99
- 33
- Chapter: essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations. Everything from perfume to lipstick to shampoo starts here.
- 3304
- Heading: beauty or make-up preparations and preparations for the care of the skin, including sunscreen; manicure or pedicure preparations. Skincare and color cosmetics live here.
- 3304.99
- Subheading: other beauty or skincare preparations, the catch-all that covers moisturizers, serums, creams and lotions not classified as lip or eye makeup.
- .5000
- National digits: the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule extends 3304.99 to a 10-digit line for other skincare, generally at a Free base duty rate.
Where common cosmetics classify
A starting map, not a ruling. Most of these carry a Free base duty, but origin-based tariffs and FDA labeling rules still apply. Confirm your exact item with the classifier above before you file.
3304.10
Lipstick & lip makeup
Lip color of all kinds: lipstick, gloss, liner and tinted balm.
3304.20
Eye makeup
Mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner and brow products.
3304.30
Nail products
Manicure and pedicure preparations, including nail polish and treatments.
3304.99
Skincare & moisturizers
Creams, serums, lotions, masks and sunscreen for the care of the skin.
3304.99
Foundation & face makeup
Foundation, concealer, blush and powder are grouped with other beauty preparations.
3303
Perfume & eau de toilette
Perfumes and toilet waters classify in their own heading, apart from 3304.
3305
Shampoo & hair care
Shampoo, conditioner, styling and other hair preparations.
3307
Deodorant, shaving & bath
Pre-shave and shaving preparations, deodorants, bath preparations and depilatories.
3401
Soap
Bar and liquid soap sit in Chapter 34, not Chapter 33, a common mix-up.
How to find the HS code for a cosmetic
Work from what the product is and where it goes on the body. Color cosmetics and skincare split inside heading 3304 by application: lips (3304.10), eyes (3304.20), nails (3304.30) and everything else including face makeup and skincare (3304.99). Step outside 3304 for related products: perfume is 3303, hair care is 3305, and shaving, deodorant and bath items are 3307. Soap drops out of Chapter 33 entirely into 3401. The finished retail product drives the code, not the individual ingredients. For the general method that applies to any product, see the Harmonized System code guide.
Cosmetic or drug? The claim decides
The trap in this category is not the tariff, it is the regulatory line between a cosmetic and a drug. Under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, a product is a cosmetic when it cleanses or beautifies, but a treatment claim, such as reducing wrinkles at the cellular level, blocking UV as a sunscreen, or treating acne, can make the same product a drug in the FDA's eyes. Sunscreens are regulated as over-the-counter drugs, and an anti-acne wash can be too. That does not usually change the 3304 tariff classification, but it changes the compliance path, the labeling and whether the shipment clears. Read the marketing claims as carefully as the ingredient list.
Duty is small, compliance is not
Because most cosmetics enter the US at a zero base rate, the duty math is usually simple, and the real cost is compliance and any origin-based tariff. Cosmetics must be labeled per FDA and Fair Packaging and Labeling Act rules, with an ingredient declaration in descending order and required warnings, or CBP and FDA can refuse entry. On top of the base rate, trade actions such as Section 301 tariffs on Chinese-origin goods can add a surcharge. Get the code for the duty, then run the value through the import duty calculator and make sure the label is compliant before the goods ship.
Cosmetics HS code questions, answered
What is the HS code for cosmetics?
Most cosmetics classify in Chapter 33 under heading 3304, beauty and make-up preparations and preparations for the care of the skin. Lip products are 3304.10, eye makeup 3304.20, nail preparations 3304.30, and other makeup and skincare 3304.99. Perfume is 3303, hair care 3305, and shaving, deodorant and bath preparations 3307. The finished retail product decides which heading applies.
What is the HS code for skincare products?
Skincare preparations such as moisturizers, serums, creams, lotions and sunscreen classify under subheading 3304.99, the other beauty and skincare category within heading 3304. The US extends this to a 10-digit HTS line, generally at a Free base duty rate. A treatment or SPF claim can also pull a product into FDA drug regulation without changing the 3304 tariff code.
Are cosmetics duty-free to import into the US?
Most cosmetics have a zero base duty rate, so makeup and skincare are generally duty-free on the base rate. That does not make them cost-free: origin-based tariffs such as Section 301 on Chinese goods can add a surcharge, and the standard entry fees apply. The larger hurdle is FDA labeling compliance, which decides whether the shipment clears at all.
Does the FDA regulate imported cosmetics?
Yes. Cosmetics must comply with the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, including an ingredient declaration in descending order of predominance and required warnings, and CBP works with the FDA to refuse non-compliant shipments. A product that makes a treatment claim, or a sunscreen, can be regulated as an over-the-counter drug with stricter requirements.
What is the HS code for perfume?
Perfume and toilet waters classify in heading 3303, separate from the makeup and skincare of 3304. This is a common mix-up: even though perfume and cosmetics share Chapter 33, they sit in different headings, so a fragrance and a face cream on the same invoice should carry different codes.
Classify your cosmetic now, keep the rationale for your entry file.
Related: HS code lookup by product, HS code for jewelry.