Harmonized commodity description and coding system
A multipurpose international goods classification system designed to be used by manufacturers, transporters, exporters, importers, Customs, statisticians, and others in classifying goods moving in international trade under a single commodity code. Developed under the auspices of the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC), an international Customs organization in Brussels, this code is a hierarchically structured product nomenclature containing approximately 5,000 headings and subheadings describing the articles moving in international trade, It is organized into 99 chapters arranged in 22 sections with the sections generally covering an industry (e. g. , Section XI, Textiles and Textile Articles) and the chapters covering the various materials and products of the industry (e. g. , Chapter 50-Silk; Chapter 55-Manmade Staple Fibers; Chapter 57-Carpets). The basic code contains 4-digit headings and 6-digit subheadings. The United States will add digits for tariff and statistical purposes. In the United States duty rates will be the 8-digit level; statistical suffixes will be at the 10-digit level. This Harmonized System (HS) is scheduled to supplant the current U,S Tariff Schedule (TSUSA) in January 1988.
(Air Cargo from A to Z, Air Transport Association of America)
