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HS Code Sections and Chapters Reference (Harmonized System Guide)

Every international shipment needs an HS code on the commercial invoice and customs declaration. Before you search a tariff database, it helps to know which section and chapter your product belongs to. This reference lists all 21 sections and the chapters manufacturers use most.

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Level	Section / Chapter	Chapters	Heading title	Where manufacturers meet it
Section	I	01 to 05	Live animals; animal products	Rare in industrial trade
Section	II	06 to 14	Vegetable products	Raw materials for food manufacturers
Section	III	15	Animal or vegetable fats and oils	Edible and industrial oils
Section	IV	16 to 24	Prepared foodstuffs, beverages, spirits, tobacco	Food and beverage plants
Section	V	25 to 27	Mineral products	Ores, cement inputs, fuels
Section	VI	28 to 38	Products of the chemical or allied industries	Chemicals, paints, adhesives, pharmaceuticals
Section	VII	39 to 40	Plastics and rubber and articles thereof	Moulded parts, gaskets, tyres
Section	VIII	41 to 43	Raw hides, skins, leather, furskins	Leather goods makers
Section	IX	44 to 46	Wood, cork, basketwork	Pallets, crates, packaging timber
Section	X	47 to 49	Pulp of wood, paper, printed matter	Cartons, labels, manuals
Section	XI	50 to 63	Textiles and textile articles	Garment and technical textile makers
Section	XII	64 to 67	Footwear, headgear, umbrellas	Footwear manufacturing
Section	XIII	68 to 70	Stone, plaster, cement, ceramics, glass	Glass, ceramics, insulators
Section	XIV	71	Pearls, precious stones and metals, coins	Jewellery, plating metals
Section	XV	72 to 83	Base metals and articles of base metal	Steel, aluminium, copper, fasteners, tools
Section	XVI	84 to 85	Machinery, mechanical and electrical equipment	Machine tools, pumps, motors, electronics
Section	XVII	86 to 89	Vehicles, aircraft, vessels	Automotive and aerospace parts
Section	XVIII	90 to 92	Optical, measuring, medical instruments; clocks; musical instruments	Metrology, sensors, medical devices
Section	XIX	93	Arms and ammunition	Defense; export controls usually apply
Section	XX	94 to 96	Miscellaneous manufactured articles	Furniture, lighting, toys, pens
Section	XXI	97	Works of art, collectors' pieces, antiques	Seldom industrial
Chapter	39	39	Plastics and articles thereof	Resins, film, moulded components
Chapter	40	40	Rubber and articles thereof	Seals, hoses, belts
Chapter	72	72	Iron and steel	Bar, plate, coil, stainless
Chapter	73	73	Articles of iron or steel	Fasteners, tubes, fittings, castings
Chapter	74	74	Copper and articles thereof	Wire, busbar, tube
Chapter	76	76	Aluminium and articles thereof	Extrusions, sheet, castings
Chapter	82	82	Tools, implements, cutlery of base metal	Cutting tools, hand tools
Chapter	83	83	Miscellaneous articles of base metal	Locks, hinges, brackets
Chapter	84	84	Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances	CNC machines, pumps, bearings, engines, compressors
Chapter	85	85	Electrical machinery and equipment	Motors, PCBs, connectors, cables, batteries
Chapter	87	87	Vehicles other than railway	Auto parts and accessories
Chapter	88	88	Aircraft, spacecraft and parts	Aerospace components
Chapter	90	90	Optical, photographic, measuring, medical instruments	Gauges, test equipment, sensors
Chapter	94	94	Furniture; lighting; prefabricated buildings	Office and industrial furniture
Chapter	98 to 99	98 to 99	Reserved for national use	Used differently by each country's tariff

The Harmonized System has 21 sections and 97 chapters used worldwide to 6 digits. Digits beyond 6 are national and differ by country. This table is general orientation only, not a classification ruling: classify with the General Rules of Interpretation, section and chapter notes and your customs broker.

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How to use this reference

Search by product word, chapter number or section. Start with the section that describes what the product is, then open the chapter and read its notes in your national tariff. The first two digits of an HS code are the chapter, the first four are the heading, and the first six are the internationally harmonised subheading. Export the rows you used into your classification file so the reasoning is documented next to the part number.

Classify the item as shipped, not as a component of a larger machine, unless the notes say otherwise.
Check section and chapter notes: they can exclude products you expected to find.
Record the tariff edition and date you used.

How classification actually works

Classification follows six General Rules of Interpretation. Rule 1 says terms of the headings and the legal notes decide first. Later rules deal with mixtures, sets and the most specific description. For example, a stainless steel bolt is usually in chapter 73 as an article of steel, while a hydraulic pump is in chapter 84. Electronic assemblies sit in chapter 85, but a measuring instrument with electronics may belong in chapter 90. Neighbouring chapters often compete, which is why notes matter.

ERP notes and common mistakes

Most ERPs store a commodity or tariff code on the item or item-plant record, for example the commodity code field in SAP material master foreign trade data or a harmonized code on the item in NetSuite and Dynamics. Mistakes include copying a supplier's code without checking it, using a 10 digit code from another country, and never updating codes when the HS edition changes, which happens every five years.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many digits are in an HS code?

The internationally harmonised part has 6 digits: 2 for the chapter, 4 for the heading and 6 for the subheading. Countries add further digits for their own tariff and statistics, commonly 8 or 10, so the same product can have different full codes in different countries.

How often does the HS nomenclature change?

The World Customs Organization amends the Harmonized System on a roughly five year cycle. Recent editions took effect in 2017 and 2022. When an edition changes, headings are split, merged or renumbered, so stored codes should be reviewed.

Can I rely on a supplier's HS code?

Use it as a starting point only. The importer or exporter of record is generally responsible for the declared classification. Check the code against the tariff text and notes for your own country, and keep your reasoning on file.

Is this tool a binding classification?

No. It is an orientation guide to sections and chapters. Binding rulings come from customs authorities in many countries on request. For a disputed or high duty product, ask your customs broker or request an official advance ruling.

If your item master has thousands of parts with missing or inconsistent tariff codes, Netray can help you set up a reviewed, human-approved workflow to suggest and check codes inside your ERP.

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