When you start managing extra-EU shipments in a systematic way, the inevitable question is: “am I using the correct HS code for my products?” An incorrect classification of HS codes can mean wrong duties, inspections, customs blocks and delays that impact the customer experience, especially in e-commerce contexts with large catalogs and many variants. For logistics, supply-chain or export managers, understanding what the HS code is, how it is structured and how to apply it at catalog level has now become an operational requirement.
In this context, tools such as Hubrise’s Omnichannel Solutions, the SEND2U orchestration engine and the Tracking services become the infrastructure that connects product master data, customs codes and shipping flows, reducing surprises and friction at border crossings.
HS code: what it is, purpose, benefits and impact on duties and compliance
The HS code, or Harmonized System code, is an international goods-classification system developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO). Each type of product is mapped to a harmonized numeric code that allows customs authorities to communicate with one another when inspecting, taxing and monitoring import/export flows.
The main purpose of HS codes is to standardize the description of goods worldwide, so that a given product category is identified in the same way regardless of the country. On this common base, each customs area, such as the European Union, applies its own extensions and duty rates, but the core of the system remains shared. This is where the customs HS code becomes crucial: correct classification determines the duties to be applied, any restrictions or required licenses, documentary obligations and foreign-trade statistics.
From the company’s perspective, using the correct HS customs code brings very concrete benefits. First of all, it reduces the risk that the shipment will be stopped for inspections because the goods description, invoice and code are not consistent.
Secondly, it allows duties and charges to be calculated in advance, avoiding surprises for the end customer and setting clear policies on who pays what, especially when working with DAP or DDP models. Finally, it strengthens compliance: in the event of an audit or dispute, being able to demonstrate that HS codes consistent with the official explanatory notes were applied is an important safeguard.
In an e-commerce context, where companies often handle thousands of SKUs and daily shipments to non-EU markets, the quality of the HS codes at catalog level can make the difference between a smooth logistics flow and one marked by blocks, recalculations and claims.
Structure of HS codes: chapters, headings and subheadings (6 standard WCO digits)
To use HS codes effectively, you need to understand their internal logic. The basic structure of the HS code consists of six digits, which form the WCO international standard; many countries then add additional digits for statistical or tariff purposes, but the common core remains the six-digit structure.
The first two digits identify the chapter, meaning a broad merchandise family. Chapters are organized systematically: for example textiles, machinery, electrical appliances, precision instruments and so on. The next digits, the third and fourth, define the heading within that chapter, narrowing the scope to a more precise subset of products. The last two digits of the base block, the fifth and sixth, identify the subheading, which describes the type of goods even more specifically.
The structure of the HS code starts from a very broad category and, as digits are added, gets increasingly closer to the actual characteristics of the product. Starting from these six harmonized digits, each country or customs union can extend the code with additional national or community digits.
For those working in e-commerce, the most important aspect is remembering that the core of the HS code remains the six-digit structure, and that if the classification at this level is incorrect, the national extensions will also be wrong as a consequence.
Finding the right HS customs code: criteria, examples and official sources
The practical question at this point is how to find the correct customs HS code for your products. The most common temptation is to “copy” the code indicated by a supplier, a competitor or past documents, but this approach is risky. Each company may in fact have different technical specifications, product variants or configurations that completely change the classification.
The starting point should always be the technical description of the product: main materials, primary function, degree of processing, and the presence of electronic components or parts that may shift the classification from one heading to another.
In the e-commerce world, the challenge is to combine this technical depth with operational speed. This is where digital tools and platforms that link customs classification to the product catalog come into play. If the management system or order platform is integrated with omnichannel solutions, the HS customs code becomes a structural attribute of the product master data, automatically flowing to couriers and export documents every time an extra-EU shipment is generated.
In this type of scenario, the SEND2U smart delivery service can also use HS codes as a parameter to apply different shipping rules — for example, choosing a carrier better suited to handling certain categories or triggering specific document flows when dealing with products subject to restrictions.
Best practices for assigning HS codes to catalogs and product variants
The complexity emerges when moving from individual cases to the full catalog. In a structured e-commerce operation, with hundreds or thousands of SKUs and variants by color, size, configuration or bundle, the assignment of HS codes must be treated as a cross-functional project, not as a series of isolated fixes.
The first best practice is to start from the structure of the catalog, identifying the product families that share the same HS code. Color or size variants often do not change the classification, whereas variants in material, function or the presence of electronic components do.
A second key element is governance, who is responsible for the classification and for any updates over time. Updates to international nomenclatures or to official interpretations may require reviewing certain HS codes, so it is useful to have processes that include periodic reviews and alignment moments between logistics, administration and, when necessary, external consultants. Changes to the codes must be automatically reflected across the entire flow, from orders to export documents.
From a technological standpoint, the ideal scenario is that the HS code is not just a field manually filled in every time an invoice is printed, but a stable attribute of the product master data that the system consistently uses across all extra-EU shipments. Hubrise’s Omnichannel Solutions, integrated with e-commerce systems and carriers, enable exactly this approach: the data lives upstream, in a single place, and is then reused by SEND2U to define shipping rules and by Tracking to correctly interpret events related to customs.