Guide ยท Marks, codes and layout
HS codes on packing lists: when to include them and how many digits
A packing list does not always carry HS codes, but many buyers, brokers and letters of credit ask for them. The Harmonized System is six digits worldwide; countries add digits for their own tariffs. Give the length your broker asks for, and keep the digits identical to the invoice.
What an HS code is and where it normally sits
The Harmonized System (HS) is the World Customs Organization's classification of goods. Its first six digits are the same in the countries that use it: two for the chapter, two for the heading, two for the subheading. Countries then extend the code for their own tariff and statistics, commonly to eight or ten digits, and what the extra digits mean differs by country.
The code normally sits on the commercial invoice, next to the description. The packing list repeats it when the importer, the broker or a letter of credit asks. The exporter's code is a statement of what the supplier believes applies. The importing country's customs apply their own tariff, and the importer or broker usually decides the code declared on the entry. See packing list requirements for the other fields.
General information, not customs or legal advice. Classification can be a legal determination, and code lengths and rules differ by country. Confirm the code with your broker or the importing country's tariff.
Add HS codes to a list in six steps
Find out whether anyone asked
The purchase order, the broker's instructions or the credit says whether the list needs codes. If nobody asks, the column can stay out.
Take the code from a reliable source
Use the code on the commercial invoice or the one your broker confirmed. A product name alone rarely settles a code.
Choose the length to write
Write the digits the importer's broker asks for. If you only know the six-digit level, six digits is safer than guessing the national ones.
Write it as text
Keep the digits and dots exactly: 6109.10 and 0901.21 must not become 6109.1 or 901.21. In Excel, format the column as Text before typing.
Code each row
Mixed goods with different classifications need their own code per row. One code on a mixed list is a mismatch.
Compare with the invoice
Every code on the list should appear on the invoice line for the same goods, with the same digits. See packing list vs invoice vs bill of lading.
Code lengths at a glance
How many digits to expect, and what they identify.
| Digits | Identifies | Set by | On a packing list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chapter | WCO (HS) | Rarely shown alone |
| 4 | Heading | WCO (HS) | Sometimes inside a description |
| 6 | Subheading | WCO (HS) | The common international level |
| 8 | National tariff line in many countries | Each country | Often asked by brokers; depends on the country |
| 10 | Further national or statistical detail in some countries | Each country | Needed on some entries; ask the broker |
Digits beyond the sixth are national: the same six digits can lead to different eight or ten-digit codes in different countries.
What goes wrong
- A different code on each document. The invoice says 6109.10 and the list says 6109.90. A reader cannot tell which is intended.
- Codes guessed from the product name. The right code can turn on material, construction or use, which a short description may not show.
- Digits lost in Excel. A leading zero dropped, or a dotted code turned into a number or date. Store the column as text.
- One code for a mixed shipment. A single code on a list of different goods matches at most one of them.
- Treating the exporter's code as final. The importer's broker classifies under the destination tariff and may change it. Keep the supplier's code in its own column, as in the packing list template for exporters, so a change is visible rather than silent.
How CargoSheet helps
CargoSheet keeps the HS code from the packing list as digits and dots, exactly as written, and leaves the field blank when the list has none. In the .xlsx download, HS codes are stored as text so leading zeros survive. It does not look codes up, validate them or suggest a classification. Try the packing list to Excel converter. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See pricing.
Questions
- Does a packing list need HS codes?
- Not always. Many packing lists leave codes to the commercial invoice. Some buyers, brokers, banks or authorities ask for them on the list, so check the order or your broker's instructions.
- How many digits is an HS code?
- Six digits are common to all countries that use the Harmonized System. Countries extend them, commonly to eight or ten digits, for their own tariffs and statistics.
- Should I use 6, 8 or 10 digits on the packing list?
- Use the length your broker or the importer asks for, with the same digits as on the invoice. If you only know six digits, write six rather than guessing the rest.
- Who is responsible for the HS code?
- In many countries the importer of record is responsible for the classification declared on the entry, usually with the broker's help. The exporter's code is normally an input. Ask your broker how it works for your shipment.
- Where do I find the right HS code?
- From the importing country's official tariff, from your customs broker, or from a binding ruling where the authority offers them. A product name alone is rarely enough to settle a code.
- Can the same goods have different codes in two countries?
- They share the first six digits where both use the Harmonized System, but the extra digits are national, and each customs authority applies its own interpretation. The code the importer declares may not be the one the exporter wrote.
Check a packing list against its own totals
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