Demystifying the WCO HS Chapters: Understanding Product Classification for Customs
- Arne Mielken
- Nov 12, 2023
- 8 min read
Demystify the WCO HS Sections and understand product classification for international trade. Learn about HS codes, WCO, customs, and classification.
The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, also known as the Harmonized System (HS), is an internationally standardized system used to classify traded products based on names and numbers. It has been in use since 1988 and is maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO), an independent intergovernmental organization based in Brussels, Belgium.
The HS is used by more than 200 WCO countries and economies for customs tariffs, international trade statistics, and other purposes. It is organized logically by economic activity or component material, with animals and animal products in one section, and machinery and mechanical appliances in another.
The HS is divided into 21 Sections, which are further subdivided into 96 Chapters. Chapter 77 is reserved for potential future use by the HS. The 96 Chapters are then subdivided into 1,228 headings and 5,612 subheadings in the 2022 edition of the HS. For the scope of this article, we will only look at the Sections and Chapters:
SECTION I
LIVE ANIMALS; ANIMAL PRODUCTSSection Notes.0100-2022E
1Live animals.0101-2022E
2Meat and edible meat offal.0102-2022E
3Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates.0103-2022E
4Dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included.0104-2022E
5Products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included.0105-2022E
SECTION IIVEGETABLE PRODUCTSSection Note.0200-2022E
6Live trees and other plants; bulbs, roots and the like; cut flowers and ornamental foliage.0206-2022E
7Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers.0207-2022E
8Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons.0208-2022E
9Coffee, tea, maté and spices.0209-2022E
10Cereals.0210-2022E
11Products of the milling industry; malt; starches; inulin; wheat gluten.0211-2022E
12Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder.0212-2022E
13Lac; gums, resins and other vegetable saps and extracts.0213-2022E
14Vegetable plaiting materials; vegetable products not elsewhere specified or included.0214-2022E
SECTION IIIANIMAL, VEGETABLE OR MICROBIAL FATS AND OILS AND THEIR CLEAVAGE PRODUCTS; PREPARED EDIBLE FATS; ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE WAXES
15Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes.0315-02022E
SECTION IVPREPARED FOODSTUFFS; BEVERAGES, SPIRITS AND VINEGAR; TOBACCO AND MANUFACTURED TOBACCO SUBSTITUTES; PRODUCTS, WHETHER OR NOT CONTAINING NICOTINE, INTENDED FOR INHALATION WITHOUT COMBUSTION; OTHER NICOTINE CONTAINING PRODUCTS INTENDED FOR THE INTAKE OF NICOTINE INTO THE HUMAN BODYSection Note.0400-2022E
16Preparations of meat, of fish, of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates, or of insects.0416-2022E
17Sugars and sugar confectionery.0417-2022E
18Cocoa and cocoa preparations.0418-2022E
19Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks' products.0419-2022E
20Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants.0420-2022E
21Miscellaneous edible preparations.0421-2022E
22Beverages, spirits and vinegar.0422-2022E
23Residues and waste from the food industries; prepared animal fodder.0423-2022E
24Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes; products, whether or not containing nicotine, intended for inhalation without combustion; other nicotine containing products intended for the intake of nicotine into the human body.0424-2022E
SECTION VMINERAL PRODUCTS25Salt; sulphur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement.0525-2022E
26Ores, slag and ash.0526-2022E
27Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes.0527-2022E
SECTION VIPRODUCTS OF THE CHEMICAL OR ALLIED INDUSTRIESSection Notes.0600-2022E
28Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, of radioactive elements or of isotopes.0628-2022E
29Organic chemicals.0629-2022E
30Pharmaceutical products.0630-2022E
31Fertilisers.0631-2022E
32Tanning or dyeing extracts; tannins and their derivatives; dyes, pigments and other colouring matter; paints and varnishes; putty and other mastics; inks.0632-2022E
33Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations.0633-2022E
34Soap, organic surface-active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial waxes, prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles and similar articles, modelling pastes, “dental waxes” and dental preparations with a basis of plaster.0634-2022E
35Albuminoidal substances; modified starches; glues; enzymes.0635-2022E
36Explosives; pyrotechnic products; matches; pyrophoric alloys; certain combustible preparations.0636-2022E
37Photographic or cinematographic goods.0637-2022E
38Miscellaneous chemical products.0638-2022E
SECTION VIIPLASTICS AND ARTICLES THEREOF; RUBBER AND ARTICLES THEREOFSection Notes.0700-2022E
39Plastics and articles thereof.0739-2022E
40Rubber and articles thereof.0740-2022E
SECTION VIIIRAW HIDES AND SKINS, LEATHER, FURSKINS AND ARTICLES THEREOF; SADDLERY AND HARNESS; TRAVEL GOODS, HANDBAGS AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS; ARTICLES OF ANIMAL GUT (OTHER THAN SILK-WORM GUT)41Raw hides and skins (other than furskins) and leather.0841-2022E
42Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silk-worm gut).0842-2022E
43Furskins and artificial fur; manufactures thereof.0843-2022E
SECTION IXWOOD AND ARTICLES OF WOOD; WOOD CHARCOAL; CORK AND ARTICLES OF CORK; MANUFACTURES OF STRAW, OF ESPARTO OR OF OTHER PLAITING MATERIALS; BASKETWARE AND WICKERWORK44Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal.0844-2022E
45Cork and articles of cork.0845-2022E
46Manufactures of straw, of esparto or of other plaiting materials; basketware and wickerwork.0846-2022E
SECTION XPULP OF WOOD OR OF OTHER FIBROUS CELLULOSIC MATERIAL; RECOVERED (WASTE AND SCRAP) PAPER OR PAPERBOARD; PAPER AND PAPERBOARD AND ARTICLES THEREOF47Pulp of wood or of other fibrous cellulosic material; recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard.0847-2022E
48Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard.0848-2022E
49Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans.0849-2022E
SECTION XITEXTILES AND TEXTILE ARTICLESSection Notes.1100-2022E
50Silk.1150-2022E
51Wool, fine or coarse animal hair; horsehair yarn and woven fabric.1151-2022E
52Cotton.1152-2022E
53Other vegetable textile fibres; paper yarn and woven fabrics of paper yarn.1153-2022E
54Man-made filaments; strip and the like of man-made textile materials.1154-2022E
55Man-made staple fibres.1155-2022E
56Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns; twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof.1156-2022E
57Carpets and other textile floor coverings.1157-2022E
58Special woven fabrics; tufted textile fabrics; lace; tapestries; trimmings; embroidery.1158-2022E
59Impregnated, coated, covered or laminated textile fabrics; textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use.1159-2022E
60Knitted or crocheted fabrics.1160-2022E
61Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted.1161-2022E
62Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted.1162-2022E
63Other made up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags.1163-2022E
SECTION XIIFOOTWEAR, HEADGEAR, UMBRELLAS, SUN UMBRELLAS, WALKING-STICKS, SEAT-STICKS, WHIPS, RIDING-CROPS AND PARTS THEREOF; PREPARED FEATHERS AND ARTICLES MADE THEREWITH; ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS; ARTICLES OF HUMAN HAIR64Footwear, gaiters and the like; parts of such articles.1264-2022E
65Headgear and parts thereof.1265-2022E
66Umbrellas, sun umbrellas, walking-sticks, seat-sticks, whips, riding-crops and parts thereof.1266-2022E
67Prepared feathers and down and articles made of feathers or of down; artificial flowers; articles of human hair.1267-2022E
SECTION XIIIARTICLES OF STONE, PLASTER, CEMENT, ASBESTOS, MICA OR SIMILAR MATERIALS; CERAMIC PRODUCTS; GLASS AND GLASSWARE68Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials.1368-2022E
69Ceramic products.1369-2022E
70Glass and glassware.1370-2022E
SECTION XIVNATURAL OR CULTURED PEARLS, PRECIOUS OR SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES, PRECIOUS METALS, METALS CLAD WITH PRECIOUS METAL AND ARTICLES THEREOF; IMITATION JEWELLERY; COIN71Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal and articles thereof; imitation jewellery; coin.1471-2022E
SECTION XVBASE METALS AND ARTICLES OF BASE METALSection Notes.1500-2022E
72Iron and steel.1572-2022E
73Articles of iron or steel.1573-2022E
74Copper and articles thereof.1574-2022E
75Nickel and articles thereof.1575-2022E
76Aluminium and articles thereof.1576-2022E
77(Reserved for possible future use in the Harmonized System)1577-2022E
78Lead and articles thereof.1578-2022E
79Zinc and articles thereof.1579-2022E
80Tin and articles thereof.1580-2022E
81Other base metals; cermets; articles thereof.1581-2022E
82Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal.1582-2022E
83Miscellaneous articles of base metal.1583-2022E
SECTION XVIMACHINERY AND MECHANICAL APPLIANCES; ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT; PARTS THEREOF; SOUND RECORDERS AND REPRODUCERS, TELEVISION IMAGE AND SOUND RECORDERS AND REPRODUCERS, AND PARTS AND ACCESSORIES OF SUCH ARTICLESSection Notes.1600-2022E
84Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof.1684-2022E
85Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles.1685-2022E
SECTION XVIIVEHICLES, AIRCRAFT, VESSELS AND ASSOCIATED TRANSPORT EQUIPMENTSection Notes.1700-2022E
86Railway or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings and parts thereof; mechanical (including electro-mechanical) traffic signalling equipment of all kinds.1786-2022E
87Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock, and parts and accessories thereof.1787-2022E
88Aircraft, spacecraft, and parts thereof.1788-2022E
89Ships, boats and floating structures.1789-2022E
SECTION XVIIIOPTICAL, PHOTOGRAPHIC, CINEMATOGRAPHIC, MEASURING, CHECKING, PRECISION, MEDICAL OR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS AND APPARATUS; CLOCKS AND WATCHES; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS;90Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof.1890-2022E
91Clocks and watches and parts thereof.1891-2022E
92Musical instruments; parts and accessories of such articles.1892-2022E
SECTION XIXARMS AND AMMUNITION; PARTS AND ACCESSORIES THEREOF93Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof.1993-2022E
SECTION XXMISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURED ARTICLES94Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings; luminaires and lighting fittings, not elsewhere specified or included; illuminated signs, illuminated name-plates and the like; prefabricated buildings.2094-2022E
95Toys, games and sports requisites; parts and accessories thereof.2095-2022E
96Miscellaneous manufactured articles.2096-2022E
SECTION XXIWORKS OF ART, COLLECTORS' PIECES AND ANTIQUES
97Works of art, collectors' pieces and antiques.
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