How to find your commodity code (and check it is right)

Why the code matters more than people expect

Your commodity code is the single input that decides how much duty you pay, whether any licence or control applies, and whether your goods attract extra charges such as anti-dumping duty. Two similar-looking products can carry very different rates because they sit under different codes. For low-value shipments, see our guide to low-value import duty changes.

It is also your legal responsibility. Your customs agent files the declaration, but using an agent does not remove your responsibility for classification: if the code is wrong, you can be liable for underpaid duty, and the agent may share liability depending on the type of representation and the circumstances.

What the digits actually mean

Codes are hierarchical. The first two digits are the chapter — the broad family of goods. The first four are the heading, the first six are the subheading, and those six digits are internationally harmonised, which is why a Chinese supplier can often tell you the first six.

The UK then extends the code to ten digits for imports. Those last digits are where the duty rate is actually set, and they are national — which is precisely why a supplier's six-digit HS code is a starting point, not an answer.

Looking one up

Use the UK Integrated Online Tariff on gov.uk. Search by what the product is, then read down the tree: chapter, heading, subheading, and finally the declarable ten-digit line. Read the descriptions at each level rather than jumping to whatever the search box surfaces first.

Our free import duty calculator does the first pass for you: type what you are importing, pick the matching description, and it fills in the duty rate and links straight to the official entry so you can check the wording yourself.

The traps that cost money

The commonest mistake is stopping at a code that has children. A code ending in zeros is often a parent heading, not a declarable line — it will not have a usable duty rate. You need the leaf that can actually be declared.

The second is classifying by what a product is called rather than what it is made of and what it does. Material, function and how the product is presented all drive classification: a 'bicycle bag' may sit with luggage rather than with bicycles, and a nylon spatula classifies as a plastic article, not as kitchen equipment.

Extra charges hide behind the code

Some codes carry anti-dumping or countervailing duty against goods of Chinese origin, on top of the normal rate. That is not visible from the duty percentage alone, and it can be far larger than the duty itself.

Check the measures listed against the code for your country of origin, not just the headline rate. Our calculator flags the categories where a China-specific anti-dumping measure exists, but the official entry is the authority.

When to get a binding decision

If the classification is genuinely arguable and the volumes are meaningful, you can apply for a legally binding decision on the code from HMRC. It takes time, but it provides certainty for goods covered by the ruling; it does not remove the risk of a retrospective assessment on shipments you have already cleared through customs.

For most SME orders that is overkill. Documenting how you reached the code — the tariff pages you read and why you chose that line — is usually the proportionate step, and it is what you will want if you are ever asked.

Engineered quartz is not natural stone for customs: slabs sit under artificial stone, as our quartz worktops guide shows.

Parts often have their own heading: drone propellers and airframe parts sit apart from the drones themselves, as our drone and aircraft parts guide shows.