{"id":10649,"date":"2023-09-19T07:34:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T14:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goglobalpost.com\/?p=10649"},"modified":"2025-05-09T04:59:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T11:59:58","slug":"what-are-hs-codes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goglobalpost.com\/blog\/what-are-hs-codes\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are HS Codes?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You may have noticed a string of numbers on customs forms before, but you may not be familiar with what these numbers are and the information they represent. Harmonized System, or HS, codes are used to categorize the products in your shipment and identify their characteristics. HS codes are universally recognized, so you don\u2019t need to translate this information before shipping. GlobalPost also provides merchants with resources to make international shipping accessible to businesses of all sizes, including tools and services to take the guesswork out of HS codes. <\/p>\n\n

TL;DR<\/strong> – HS Codes are numerical values assigned to products to bypass language barriers and streamline international shipping. They\u2019re now required for all shipments going through or to countries in the EU. GlobalPost merchants can look up their own HS codes, or GlobalPost will automatically enter HS codes based on the information provided. <\/p>\n\n

Recent HS codes update<\/h2>\n\n

In the spring of 2023, HS codes became required<\/a> for all shipments moving through and going to the EU. However, a grace period was established through July to allow shippers to adjust to these changes. Now that the grace period has concluded, failure to include HS codes on your shipments could result in penalties and returned shipments. This could have negative impacts on your business, causing loss of time, money, and customer satisfaction. Understanding where to find HS codes and how to incorporate them into your customs forms is now more important than ever. <\/p>\n\n

How to find HS codes <\/h2>\n\n

Back in 1952, the World Customs Organization (WCO) was founded to help streamline the customs process. The WCO is responsible for creating HS codes<\/a> as a way to improve communication between customs offices and keep international shipping as safe and structured as possible. <\/p>\n\n

While the WCO doesn\u2019t offer a full list of HS codes to the public, they do offer a list of resources, including email addresses for HS codes officials<\/a>, to aid in your quest for finding the correct HS codes. However, GlobalPost offers free tools to keep merchants from having to chase down HS codes on their own. <\/p>\n\n

As long as the information entered with your customs forms is correct, GlobalPost will automatically include the correct HS code for your shipment. If you would rather search for and enter an HS code manually, you can use our Free HS Tariff Lookup tool<\/a> for up to five daily searches. <\/p>\n\n

How to read HS codes <\/h2>\n\n

Each HS code consists of three different sections: a chapter, a heading, and a subheading. The chapter identifies your product, the heading classifies your product\u2019s characteristics, and the subheading essentially combines the chapter and heading. For example, if your business ships roasted and decaffeinated coffee, the HS code for this product might be 0901.11. Let\u2019s break this HS code down: <\/p>\n\n