HS code by category
HS code for toys, HTS 9503 codes and duty for games and puzzles
Most toys live in Chapter 95, and most enter the US duty-free, which makes the real questions compliance and origin, not the base rate. Describe your toy on the right and the AI returns the HS/HTS code, the US duty rate and its reasoning.
Free demo · No card required · AI estimate, not a customs ruling
Customs declaration · AI classifier
FORM TW-01
The short answer
Toys classify in Chapter 95, and most fall under heading 9503, which covers wheeled toys, dolls, other toys, scale models and puzzles. The great majority of toys enter the US at a zero base duty rate, so a stuffed animal, a wooden puzzle or a plastic playset is generally duty-free. The main base-rate exception is dolls representing human beings, which carry a small duty. Video game consoles sit in 9504 and festive articles in 9505. Because the base rate is usually zero, the cost that actually matters on toys is any trade-remedy tariff on the origin country plus the standard entry fees, along with CPSC safety and labeling compliance.
Anatomy of a code: a plastic toy playset
9503.00
- 95
- Chapter: toys, games and sports requisites; parts and accessories thereof. Everything from a jigsaw puzzle to a soccer ball starts in this chapter.
- 9503
- Heading: tricycles, scooters and wheeled toys; dolls' carriages; dolls; other toys; scale models; puzzles. This one heading captures the bulk of the toy aisle.
- 9503.00
- Subheading: the US groups most of heading 9503 under 9503.00 and splits by toy type at the national digits, most of it duty-free.
- .0073
- National digits: the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule extends 9503.00 to statistical lines such as stuffed toys or puzzles, most at a Free base rate.
Where common toys classify
A starting map, not a ruling. Most of these carry a Free base duty, but origin-based tariffs can still apply. Confirm your exact item with the classifier above before you file.
9503.00
Stuffed toys & plush
Toys representing animals or non-human creatures, stuffed. Generally duty-free into the US.
9503.00
Puzzles
Jigsaw and other puzzles of paper, wood or plastic. Generally duty-free.
9503.00
Wheeled toys
Tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and ride-ons children sit on or push. Generally duty-free.
9503.00
Dolls (human)
Dolls representing human beings carry a small base duty, unlike animal or creature toys.
9503.00
Building blocks & construction sets
Interlocking brick sets and other construction toys. Generally duty-free.
9504.50
Video game consoles
Consoles and machines are heading 9504, separate from toys; generally duty-free base rate.
9504.40 / 9504.90
Playing cards & tabletop games
Card games and board games sit in 9504, apart from the 9503 toy heading.
9505
Festive & party articles
Holiday decorations, party favors and carnival articles classify in 9505, not 9503.
9503.00
Toy parts & accessories
Parts and accessories of toys of heading 9503 stay in the heading as parts.
How to find the HS code for a toy
Start by asking what the item actually is, because Chapter 95 splits by type rather than material. A plush animal, a puzzle and a ride-on scooter are all plastic or fabric or wood, yet they share heading 9503 because they are all toys. The main forks are: is it a toy (9503), a game or console (9504), or a festive article (9505)? Within 9503 the one base-rate distinction that matters is dolls representing human beings, which carry a duty, versus animal and creature toys, which do not. For the general method that applies to any product, see the Harmonized System code guide.
Why duty-free does not mean cost-free
Because most toys sit at a Free base rate, importers assume there is nothing to calculate, and that is where the surprise comes. If the toys are made in China, the Section 301 tariff picture depends on the exact line: most of heading 9503 was placed on List 4B in 2019, which never took effect, while some other Chapter 95 lines do carry List 3 or 4A duty, and since July 24, 2026 the Section 301 forced-labor action adds 12.5 percent on Chinese goods on top of the zero base rate. So a duty-free toy still owes real money. Add the Merchandise Processing Fee and, for ocean freight, the Harbor Maintenance Fee, plus any current trade-policy layer for the origin country. So the base rate tells you almost nothing about the landed cost. Run the customs value through the import duty calculator to see the true figure for your lane.
Safety and labeling are the real toy hurdle
For toys, the code is often the easy part; the Consumer Product Safety Commission rules are the hard part. Children's toys must meet the ASTM F963 safety standard, carry a Children's Product Certificate based on third-party testing, and follow tracking-label and small-parts requirements, and CBP can detain a shipment that fails. None of that changes the HS code, but it decides whether the goods actually clear. Classify the toy to get the code and the duty, then make sure the compliance file is ready before the container arrives.
What it costs to classify a toy catalog before the season
Toy importing is seasonal. Most of the year's SKUs get classified in a burst between spring sourcing and the fall shipping window, and since de minimis ended in 2026 the direct-to-consumer parcels need a 10-digit code too, not only the container. Broker bands below are the documented per-product review rates in the US market; TariffWise figures are the published plans.
| Catalog | Broker review per product | TariffWise |
|---|---|---|
| 60 new toys for one season | $3,000 to $12,000 at $50 to $200 each | $59 for one month of Starter, 100 classifications |
| 400 SKUs including variants and playsets | $20,000 to $80,000 | $199 for one month of Growth, 1,000 classifications with bulk CSV |
| A 3,000-line toy and game catalog | Not realistic per product | $499 for one month of Business, 10,000 classifications |
Sets are the toy classifier's hardest case: a puzzle packed with a plush, a craft kit with paints and paper, a game with a console-style controller. GRI 3(b) sends a set to the component that gives it its essential character, and the reasoning saved with each classification is what you show CBP if the choice is questioned. Run the classification once, keep the file, and drop to a smaller plan after the season. The tools that classify a toy catalog are compared, with cost per SKU and the 2026 CPSC eFiling link, in best HS code classification software for toy importers. If the toys sell through a Shopify store, the Shopify HS codes guide covers the inventory CSV workflow; the cost of every route per product is on the classification cost for importers page, and the broader setup for a DTC brand is on import compliance software for ecommerce.
Toy HS code questions, answered
What is the HS code for toys?
Most toys classify in Chapter 95 under heading 9503, which covers wheeled toys, dolls, other toys, scale models and puzzles. The US extends 9503.00 to statistical lines by toy type, and the majority carry a Free base duty rate. Games and video consoles sit in heading 9504 and festive articles in 9505, so not everything in a toy store shares one code.
Are toys duty-free to import into the US?
Most toys have a zero base duty rate, so a stuffed animal, a puzzle or a plastic playset is generally duty-free on the base rate. The notable base-rate exception is dolls representing human beings, which carry a small duty. But duty-free base rate does not mean free to land: origin-based tariffs, such as Section 301 on Chinese goods, plus the standard entry fees can still apply.
What is the HS code for stuffed animals?
Stuffed toys representing animals or non-human creatures classify in heading 9503, at a US statistical line such as 9503.00.0073, and generally enter duty-free. The distinction that matters is human versus non-human: a plush animal is duty-free, while a doll representing a human being carries a base duty even though both are soft toys.
Do toys from China have extra tariffs?
Often yes. Most toys have a zero base duty, and most of heading 9503 sat on Section 301 List 4B, which never took effect. But since July 24, 2026 the Section 301 forced-labor action adds 12.5 percent on Chinese goods, some other Chapter 95 lines carry older List 3 or 4A duty, and the Merchandise Processing and Harbor Maintenance fees still apply. Check the exact 10-digit line before you cost it.
What safety rules apply to importing toys?
Children's toys must meet the ASTM F963 safety standard, be covered by a Children's Product Certificate backed by third-party testing at a CPSC-accepted lab, and carry tracking labels. These Consumer Product Safety Commission rules are separate from the HS code but decide whether CBP releases the shipment. Get both right: the correct code for duty and the compliance file for release.
Classify your toy now, keep the rationale for your entry file.
Related: HS code lookup by product, HS code for electronics.