US imports
HTS code lookup that finds the US harmonized tariff code from a product description
An HTS code lookup normally means searching the 99-chapter US Harmonized Tariff Schedule by hand. Here, you describe the product in plain English and the AI returns the most likely HTS code, the duty rate and the reasoning, in seconds.
Full 10-digit HTSUS · Reasoning on every result · Bulk CSV lookup from $199 a month
Customs declaration · AI classifier
FORM TW-01
The short answer
To look up an HTS code, describe the product by material, function and construction and match it to the 10-digit line in the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The official USITC search does this by keyword, which works when you already know the heading. TariffWise does it from a plain-English description, commits to one code, writes out the rule that decided it and prices the 2026 duty, from $59 a month for 100 lookups or about 20 cents each in bulk.
HTS code lookup tools compared
There are five ways to find a US tariff code, and each one is right for a different amount of work. The official schedule is the legal source behind all of them, so the real question is how much of the reading you want to do yourself.
| Route | How you search | What you get back | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TariffWise | Plain-English product description | One 10-digit code, the GRI reasoning, two runner-up codes, 2026 duty and landed cost | Importers classifying new products every month, or a whole catalog | $59, $199, $499 a month |
| USITC HTS search (hts.usitc.gov) | Keyword or code | Every schedule line containing the word, with the rates | Checking a code you already suspect, reading the legal text | No charge |
| CBP CROSS rulings search | Keyword or ruling number | Past binding rulings on similar goods | Backing up a close call with precedent | No charge |
| Licensed customs broker | Send specs and photos | A code chosen by a licensed professional, often billed per line | Contested products and the entry itself | About $50 to $200 per product review |
| Enterprise trade suite (Descartes, ONESOURCE, Avalara) | Content library or managed service | Multi-country codes inside a larger compliance platform | Large companies classifying for many countries | Quote only |
A keyword search is fine for one product you half know. It gets expensive in a different way when you have forty new SKUs before a season, because each one means reading chapter notes and choosing between near-identical lines, and nobody writes down why. The broker route is the most defensible and the slowest to scale. For the full vendor field, see the best HS code classification software roundup.
What an HTS code is, in one paragraph
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) is the US extension of the global Harmonized System. The first six digits are the international Harmonized System code, shared by every trading country; the US adds four more digits for its own duty rates and statistics, giving the 10-digit HTS number that goes on a customs entry. A men's cotton t-shirt, for example, sits at 6109.10.00 internationally, and US filings extend it to a 10-digit line.
Why HTS code lookup goes wrong by hand
The schedule is organized by legal logic, not by how people name products. A power bank is not under "chargers" but under electric accumulators (8507.60.00). A vacuum-insulated bottle leaves the steel-housewares heading entirely and lands with vacuum flasks (9617.00). Search boxes that match words instead of meaning find the wrong heading confidently, and the duty difference between two plausible codes routinely runs several percentage points on every entry you file.
What a defensible lookup includes
US Customs expects "reasonable care" in classification. Practically, that means being able to say why the code applies: the material, function or construction that drove it, and why the near-miss codes do not apply. That is exactly what the classifier above returns with every result: the rationale, the runner-up codes with their distinguishing factors, plus the estimated duty on your shipment value. Section 301 and similar origin-based surcharges are flagged in the duty note rather than silently baked in, so you can see the parts of the answer separately.
From code to cost
The code is half the answer; what it costs at the border is the other half. The result card above already multiplies the duty rate against your value, and the import duty calculator walks the same math for any lane. To go from duty to the full per-unit truth, add freight and fees with the landed cost calculator.
Every result here is an AI best-effort estimate for guidance, not a binding ruling; for contested classifications, a broker or a CBP binding ruling remains the right tool. For routine SKUs, stop paying per line: create your account below and get saved history, bulk CSV classification and an audit trail.
Bulk HTS code lookup for validating and correcting a whole catalog
Most importers do not need one code. They need to check the 400 codes somebody typed into a spreadsheet three years ago, before the 2026 layers turn a wrong line into a wrong invoice. A bulk lookup takes the product descriptions you already have, returns a code for every row, and flags the rows where your existing code and the classified code disagree. Those disagreements are the list your team or broker actually has to look at.
| Catalog size | Plan that fits | Cost per lookup | Same work at broker review rates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 100 products a month | Starter, $59 a month | About 59 cents | $5,000 to $20,000 for 100 reviews |
| Up to 1,000 products a month | Growth, $199 a month, bulk CSV, 5 seats | About 20 cents | $50,000 to $200,000 for 1,000 reviews |
| Up to 10,000 products a month | Business, $499 a month, 20 seats | About 5 cents | Not a realistic broker job |
The broker column uses the $50 to $200 per product review band most brokers quote, so it is an order of magnitude, not an invoice. The sensible split is the one most mid-size importers land on: run the whole catalog through the classifier, then send only the disagreements and the genuinely contested products to a broker. Plans and limits are on the pricing page, and teams that want codes written straight back into an ERP or a Shopify catalog use the HS code API. The same workflow is described in more detail on the tariff classification software page.
HTS code vs Schedule B number for US exports
If goods enter the United States, the entry carries a 10-digit HTS code and that code sets the duty. If goods leave the United States, the export filing in AES carries a 10-digit Schedule B number, kept by the Census Bureau for trade statistics, and no duty attaches to it. Both start from the same six international digits.
| HS code | Schedule B | HTS code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used for | The international base | US exports | US imports |
| Length | 6 digits | 10 digits | 10 digits |
| Maintained by | World Customs Organization | US Census Bureau | US International Trade Commission |
| Carries a duty rate | No | No | Yes |
| Where it is reported | Not on its own | Electronic Export Information in AES | The import entry filed with CBP |
For many products the two 10-digit numbers are identical. Where they are not, the HTS usually has more lines, because a duty rate forces finer splits by material, value or use, so several HTS codes can roll up into one Schedule B number. The substitution only runs one way: a valid HTS number is generally accepted on an export filing, but a Schedule B number cannot go on an import entry because it has no rate behind it. A business that both imports and exports should keep the two numbers in separate columns rather than copying one into the other.
Carriers ask for the 6-digit HS part on international labels in either direction, which is why the FedEx HS code lookup and UPS tariff code lookup pages start from the same classification the tool above returns.
HTS code lookup questions
How do I find the HTS code for my product?
Describe the product by what it is made of, what it does and how it is built, then work down the schedule from the heading to the 10-digit line using the chapter notes and the General Rules of Interpretation. In the classifier on this page you type that description in plain English and get the 10-digit code, the reasoning and the duty back in seconds.
Is there an HTS code lookup tool?
Yes, several. The USITC runs the official HTS search at hts.usitc.gov, which searches the schedule by keyword. CBP CROSS searches past binding rulings. AI lookup tools such as TariffWise read a product description and commit to one 10-digit code with the reasoning written out, which is the faster route when you have more than a handful of products.
Is the HTS code the same as the HS code?
No. The HS code is the 6-digit international code shared by every country that uses the Harmonized System. The HTS code is the US version: the same first six digits plus four more set by the United States for duty rates and statistics. A US customs entry needs the full 10-digit HTS number.
How much does an HTS code lookup cost?
Searching the USITC schedule yourself costs nothing but time. A customs broker typically charges $50 to $200 to review a product and $5 to $15 per extra HTS line on an entry. TariffWise costs $59 a month for 100 classifications, or about 20 cents each on the $199 Growth plan with bulk CSV runs.
Can I look up HTS codes in bulk?
Yes. On the Growth and Business plans you upload a CSV of product descriptions and get a 10-digit HTS code, the rationale and the duty for every row, then export the file back into your ERP, Shopify catalog or broker template. Teams writing codes straight into their own systems use the HS code API.
Is a Schedule B number the same as an HTS code?
Not always. Both are 10-digit US numbers built on the same 6-digit HS root, but Schedule B is the export code kept by the Census Bureau and the HTS code is the import code kept by the USITC. Many lines match digit for digit. Where they differ, the HTS splits more finely because it has to set a duty rate.
Who is responsible if the HTS code is wrong?
The importer of record. Under 19 USC 1484 the importer must use reasonable care to classify its goods, and that duty stays with you whether a broker, a tool or an employee picked the code. That is why the reasoning behind every code matters as much as the code itself.