How to find your US HTS code and read the full duty stack (base rate + Chapter 99)

You have a product description (EN or CN) and need a credible US import classification before quoting cost or filing an entry. This guide covers the lookup path and how to read the rate line so you do not stop at General when Chapter 99 additionals may also apply.

Disclaimer: Educational decision support — not legal advice, not a binding ruling. Confirm with the current USITC HTS and your broker; request a CBP binding ruling when risk warrants.

What an HTS code is (and why 10 digits matter for US entry)

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) classifies goods for US import. For entry you report a 10-digit statistical reporting number — it drives duty treatment, statistics, and how CBP sees the shipment. USITC publishes the HTS; CBP administers and interprets it. USITC does not issue binding classification advice — see the USITC tariff affairs disclaimer.

HS 6 vs HTS 8/10. The first six digits follow the international Harmonized System (HS). The United States then adds national detail: the 8-digit legal rate line (where duty rates attach) and a 2-digit statistical suffix that completes the 10-digit number for entry. A supplier’s 6-digit HS, a China export code, or a US Schedule B export number is not a US import HTS. Schedule B and HTS share six digits but diverge at 8 and 10; see USITC: Schedule B vs HTS.

Official source: USITC HTS (not a random blog table). Use the live schedule at hts.usitc.gov and the harmonized tariff information hub. Blog tables go stale when the HTS revises. For columns, footnotes, and Chapters 98/99, read the USITC HTS FAQs. Optional HTS learning guide.

How to look up a code from a product description

Keyword search alone often fails — the HTS is a hierarchy, not a product catalog. Build a fact sheet, then walk the tree.

Attribute checklist: material, function / principal use, condition as imported, key parts. Write down before you open the schedule:

1. Material — e.g. stainless steel, man-made fibers, cotton, plastic type.
2. Function / principal use — outdoor advertising display, vacuum-insulated drinkware, etc.
3. Condition as imported — finished good, kit, parts, with or without accessories.
4. Key construction — capacity bands if the tree uses them, vacuum vs non-vacuum, printed vs blank, outdoor vs indoor, coatings.
5. Origin — needed later for many Chapter 99 layers.

Chinese input is fine if you verify the English reading of material and use.

Work the tree: heading → subheading → statistical suffix. Follow the top-down logic in the USITC FAQs:

1. Find the most specific 4-digit heading (after section/chapter notes for exclusions).
2. Under that heading only, compare 6- then 8-digit subheadings by indentation to the legal rate line.
3. Add the statistical suffix for the full 10-digit entry number.
4. Read endnotes that point to Chapter 99 before treating General as “the duty.”

Do not jump to a favorite 10-digit from an old invoice without re-checking the current text.

Optional: try Costvanta with the same description (EN or CN). Paste the same description into the Costvanta homepage tool. It returns candidate codes, the matched tariff-tree path, rate structure, and related CBP rulings. Chinese and English both work; verify the English reading when you start from Chinese.

Treat results as decision support — not a broker substitute, and not accepted as-is by CBP. Use candidates to focus checks on hts.usitc.gov and CROSS.

How to read the rate line: General vs the rest

Column 1 General is the base rate for products of countries entitled to normal trade relations (MFN-style treatment). For most everyday origins, this is the starting rate on the Chapter 1–97 line. Look it up on the current schedule; do not reuse a blog percentage.

Column 1 Special covers lower or free rates under FTAs and preference programs when claimed; Column 2 applies only to countries in HTS general note 3(b). Most CN→US sellers focus on General plus Chapter 99.

Endnotes in Chapters 1–97 often point to Chapter 99 (e.g. “see 9903.88.xx”). Open that provision in the current HTS revision and decide whether an additional duty or exclusion applies. Do not stop at the General cell alone.

What “full duty stack” means

“The duty rate” often means only General on the Chapter 1–97 line. The full duty stack is every applicable duty layer for that merchandise, origin, and entry date.

Classify in Chapters 1–97 first; Ch. 98/99 can change duty treatment when eligibility and documentation line up.

Common layers: Section 301 (China), Section 232, other Ch.99 — check these themes; do not invent rates.

• Section 301 (China): USTR Section 301 product search, then map ch. 1–97 subheadings to Ch.99 with the USITC China Tariffs file (example: China Tariffs, 2026HTSRev1). Confirm the current release= at use time; the file is a convenience mapping, not the legal HTS text.

For a step-by-step China-origin check (USTR product search → USITC China Tariffs map → live Chapter 99 notes and exclusions → CBP FAQs), see Section 301 China tariffs: how to check if your HTS owes extra duty. That guide is method only - it does not paste List rates. For the separate 2026 forced-labor Section 301 action (9903.05 family, ~60 economies), see Section 301 forced labor tariffs (9903.05): how to check if your origin/HTS owes extra duty. For commercial low-value parcels after Section 321(a)(2)(C) de minimis suspension (non-mail vs mail entry paths + why every SKU still needs a 10-digit HTS), see Section 321 de minimis suspended: what low-value US imports need now (HTS + entry). Once you have a credible 10-digit and Chapter 99 path, build unit economics with How to calculate US import landed cost (goods + freight + duty stack + MPF/HMF).

• Section 232 and other Ch.99 actions: Find the relevant Chapter 99 headings/notes in the current HTS and follow CBP program guidance. For steel, aluminum, copper, and derivatives, see Section 232 steel, aluminum, and copper: how to check if your HTS owes extra duty.
• Exclusions: A listed code on a policy page is not enough — read product limits, dates, and documentation in the governing notices and Ch.99 notes.

When a Chapter 99 additional applies, it typically adds to the General rate. Effective duty can exceed General alone — always use the schedule in force for your origin and entry date.

Sanity-check with CBP CROSS (light)

With a short candidate list, search CBP CROSS for similar goods. Rulings can support or challenge your path; see also CBP’s rulings hub. Use CROSS as evidence, not a rubber stamp. If two strong candidates remain and risk is material, use a broker or seek a binding ruling.

Worked mini-walkthrough

Primary: Advertising banner, outdoor, man-made fibers. Description: Advertising banner for outdoor display, man-made fibers (homepage-style). Optional CN label: 户外广告横幅，化纤.

1. Attributes: Textile banner; use = outdoor advertising; material = man-made fibers; confirm printed/hardware/finish as imported.
2. Tree: Start from made-up textile / banner-type headings; narrow by fiber and construction to an 8-digit rate line, then the statistical suffix. Read notes so you do not land in a residual “other” that another note excludes.
3. Rate line: Record Column 1 General as the base only. Open any endnote pointing to Chapter 99.
4. If origin is China: Check 8-digit coverage via USTR and the USITC China Tariffs mapping (confirm current release), then read the cited Ch.99 heading in the live HTS. Full stack = base + applicable Ch.99 — no percentage is invented here.
5. Evidence: CROSS-search outdoor advertising banners of similar fiber and construction; compare facts to your SKU.

Sidebar: Stainless steel vacuum flask (short). For a stainless steel vacuum flask (e.g. 500 ml, plastic lid), decisive attributes are usually vacuum insulation, materials, capacity band, and condition as imported — not the marketing name alone. Same checklist → tree → General → Ch.99 path. For category depth, see Costvanta’s published Water Bottle Insight; this page does not repeat it.

When the description is too vague. “Plastic decorative article” rarely yields a trustworthy candidate. Form, principal use, and finish drive different headings — strengthen the checklist before trusting any tool or supplier code.

What to do next

1. Write the attribute checklist (EN or CN).
2. Walk heading → subheading → suffix on hts.usitc.gov, or start with candidates from Costvanta.
3. Read General as the base; follow every Ch.99 pointer. For China origin, run the Section 301 HTS check (USTR + USITC mapping + legal Ch.99 text), then confirm in the live HTS.
4. Sanity-check in CROSS.
5. Involve a licensed broker when value or ambiguity is high; request a CBP binding ruling when you need certainty informal advice cannot give.

CTA: Run your description on https://www.costvanta.com — candidates, path, rate structure, and CBP rulings as evidence. Decision support only.

FAQ

Can I use a China HS code or Schedule B number on a US import entry?

No. Do not copy a China HS or US Schedule B number onto a US import entry. Only six digits are internationally aligned; US entry needs the correct 10-digit HTS. See USITC: Schedule B vs HTS.

Does Costvanta — or any tool — replace a binding ruling?

No. Only CBP issues binding rulings (rulings hub; prior decisions in CROSS). Costvanta is decision support: candidates, paths, rate structure, and ruling evidence for you to verify.

Do rates change when the HTS revises?

Yes. Base rates, statistical suffixes, and Chapter 99 notes can change. Confirm the revision in force for your entry date on hts.usitc.gov. Convenience files (including China Tariffs mappings) also move with release= — re-check before you rely on them.

Why is my effective duty higher than the General rate?

Often a Chapter 99 additional (e.g. Section 301 or 232) sits on top of General for that origin and date. Re-read footnotes and Ch.99.

What if two HTS candidates still look plausible?

Document the decisive attribute that separates them, check CROSS, and escalate to a broker or binding ruling when the gap matters.

Disclaimer: Classification and duty liability depend on your merchandise, origin, and the HTS in force on the date of entry. Confirm with the current USITC HTS and your broker; request a CBP binding ruling when risk warrants. Costvanta is decision support only — not legal advice, not binding on CBP.