Are HS code and HTS code the same thing?

No. The HS code is the 6-digit international number; the HTS code is the 10-digit US number that starts with those same 6 digits and adds 4 US-specific digits for duty rates and statistics.

Is an HTS code just a longer HS code?

Effectively yes for the US: the HTS takes the WCO's 6-digit HS subheading and appends a US tariff line (digits 7–8) and a statistical suffix (digits 9–10).

Do I use HTS or Schedule B?

Use the HTS code for goods you import into the US, and Schedule B for goods you export from the US. They share the first 6 digits but can differ in the last four.

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HS Code vs HTS Code: The Difference Explained

Updated 2026-07-17 · Target term: “hs code and hts code”

An HS code is the 6-digit product number shared by every country; an HTS code is the 10-digit United States extension built on top of that same 6-digit root. The first six digits are always identical — the last four are what the US adds for its own legal duty rates and statistics. If you only remember one thing: HS is global and 6 digits, HTS is US and 10 digits, and they agree on the first six.

Where the two codes come from

The Harmonized System (HS) is maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and is used by more than 200 economies. It standardizes the first 6 digits so a product means the same thing in Shenzhen, Rotterdam and Los Angeles. The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS, usually shortened to HTS) is administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). It takes the WCO's 6 digits and adds four more.

So 8471.30 (portable data-processing machines) is an HS subheading recognised worldwide. In the US it becomes a 10-digit HTS number such as 8471.30.01.00. See a worked example on HS code for laptop or open the full 8471.30 detail page.

Digit by digit

Digits 1–2 — chapter (e.g. 84 = machinery)
Digits 3–4 — heading
Digits 5–6 — subheading (this is the full international HS code)
Digits 7–8 — US legal tariff rate line (added by the HTS)
Digits 9–10 — US statistical suffix (collected by the Census Bureau)

Read the full anatomy in HTS Code Structure: How to Read the 10 Digits.

Do not confuse HTS with Schedule B

Both are 10-digit US codes built on the HS 6-digit root, but they serve opposite directions of trade. HTS codes classify imports into the US and set the duty you pay. Schedule B codes, administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, classify exports leaving the US. For most products the first six digits match; the last four can differ. When you file an import entry, you always use the HTS.

Which one do you actually need?

If you are importing into the United States and want to know the duty, you need the 10-digit HTS code — the 6-digit HS code alone cannot tell you the rate, because Section 301, 232 and 122 measures attach at the 8- or 10-digit level. If you are shipping between two other countries, the 6-digit HS code plus that destination's own national digits is what applies. OpenTariff computes the full US stack for you: try the classifier on the home page or browse products by name.

Side by side

HS code — 6 digits · WCO · global · identifies the product · does not give a US rate
HTS code — 10 digits · USITC · US imports · sets the legal duty · starts with the HS 6 digits
Schedule B — 10 digits · Census · US exports · starts with the HS 6 digits

The practical upshot: a supplier in China and an importer in the US will agree on the first six digits of, say, a power bank or a cotton hoodie, then the US importer extends to ten to read the duty.

Common mistakes

Three errors cause most classification disputes. First, stopping at six digits and assuming the MFN base is the whole duty — it usually is not for China-origin goods. Second, copying a Schedule B code onto an import entry because it "looked right" — export and import codes can diverge in the last four digits. Third, classifying by marketing category rather than by material and function; a "smart" gadget is still classified by what it physically is and does. When two headings seem to fit, the General Rules of Interpretation decide — see how to find the HS code for your product.

Which agencies keep them current

The WCO revises the HS roughly every five years, so the 6-digit codes shift in waves (importers had to remap at the last revision). The USITC updates the HTS more often as tariff actions land, and the USTR publishes the Section 301 annexes. Because the four-digit US tail and the Chapter 99 measures move faster than the global six digits, the duty on an unchanged product can change without its HS code changing at all — which is exactly why every OpenTariff rate line carries an effective date.

Rates and measure lists in this guide reflect the current OpenTariff dataset (USITC / USTR / CBP). Annual figures such as MPF and specific tariff actions change — confirm against official sources before filing.

FAQ

Are HS code and HTS code the same thing?: No. The HS code is the 6-digit international number; the HTS code is the 10-digit US number that starts with those same 6 digits and adds 4 US-specific digits for duty rates and statistics.
Is an HTS code just a longer HS code?: Effectively yes for the US: the HTS takes the WCO's 6-digit HS subheading and appends a US tariff line (digits 7–8) and a statistical suffix (digits 9–10).
Do I use HTS or Schedule B?: Use the HTS code for goods you import into the US, and Schedule B for goods you export from the US. They share the first 6 digits but can differ in the last four.

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