Quick answer
Why the same laptop is 8471.30 everywhere but 8471.30.0100 in the US, 8471 30 00 in the EU and 8471.30.20 in Vietnam.
Take a portable laptop under 10 kg. Worldwide, its HS6 subheading is 8471.30. But on a customs declaration you never file just six digits.
United States — HTS (10 digits)
The USITC maintains the Harmonized Tariff Schedule; CBP enforces it. 8471.30 becomes a 10-digit line such as 8471.30.0100. Digits 7–8 set the US duty rate; digits 9–10 are statistical. Chapter 99 codes (e.g. Section 301) stack on top.
European Union — CN (8) and TARIC (10)
The Combined Nomenclature (8 digits) is republished every year and is what exporters and Intrastat use. Imports are declared at 10-digit TARIC level, which encodes anti-dumping duties, suspensions and quotas. One wrong digit can silently skip a 48% anti-dumping measure — or wrongly trigger it.
United Kingdom — commodity code (10)
Post-Brexit, the UK Global Tariff mirrors the EU structure but diverges in rates and measures. Check the GOV.UK Trade Tariff, not TARIC, for UK imports.
Vietnam — AHTN (8 digits)
Vietnam classifies with 8 digits under the ASEAN Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature (Circular 31/2022/TT-BTC). All ten ASEAN members share the same 8-digit structure, which simplifies intra-ASEAN trade — but MFN and FTA duty rates are set by separate national decrees.
China — 8+ digits and CIQ
China's tariff code is 8 digits extended to a 13-digit declaration code including inspection/quarantine (CIQ) digits, plus mandatory "declaration elements" describing material, function, brand and model.
The rule to remember
HS6 travels worldwide; everything after digit six is national law. Classify to HS6 with GIR reasoning first, then resolve the national line for each destination — never copy a 10-digit code from one country's schedule into another country's declaration.
2026 U.S. legal authority and practice note
Legal review date: September 5, 2026. The USITC online HTSUS identified 2026 Revision 18 on this review date. The version effective on the actual entry date controls.
Article-specific legal clarification
The six-digit HS is internationally harmonized only to the extent adopted by the contracting parties. A U.S. entry requires the current 10-digit HTSUS statistical reporting number and may also require one or more Chapter 99 numbers; an EU CN/TARIC or another country's national suffix is not a valid substitute.
Hierarchy and weight of classification authority
| Authority | U.S. legal significance |
|---|---|
| HTSUS heading/subheading text and Section/Chapter/Additional U.S. Notes | Statutory tariff text; apply through the GRIs and U.S. Additional Rules of Interpretation. |
| WCO Explanatory Notes | Persuasive guidance for interpreting the international HS, but not U.S. statutory text. |
| CBP ruling under 19 CFR Part 177 | Binding on CBP for the requester and merchandise covered by the ruling's facts, subject to modification/revocation and later legal changes; similar CROSS rulings may be persuasive. |
| Court of International Trade / Federal Circuit decision | Controlling judicial precedent within its jurisdiction; factual and procedural posture must match. |
| Broker, vendor or database code | A lead only; it does not transfer the importer's legal responsibility. |
Importer-of-record standard and current-entry controls
Under 19 U.S.C. 1484, the importer of record must use reasonable care to enter, classify and value the merchandise and provide information needed for admissibility, even when a licensed broker files the entry. Negligent, grossly negligent or fraudulent material statements or omissions can be penalized under 19 U.S.C. 1592. Preserve a written classification file and records required by 19 U.S.C. 1508 and 19 CFR Part 163, generally for five years.
Before relying on this article for an entry, independently verify: 1. the exact 10-digit HTSUS number in the current schedule and any required Chapter 99 number; 2. customs value under 19 U.S.C. 1401a and nonpreferential/preferential origin; 3. Section 301/232, safeguard, quota and exclusion status on the entry date; 4. every potentially relevant AD/CVD written scope—scope text is dispositive and HTS references are only for convenience; and 5. all PGA admissibility, certification, labeling, reporting and ACE data requirements.
For a recurring, novel or high-value classification, request a prospective CBP ruling under 19 CFR Part 177 with complete facts. An FAQ, search result or AI output is not a ruling and does not by itself establish reasonable care.
Official legal sources
- USITC — Current Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
- CBP — User fee table: MPF rate and FY 2026 minimum/maximum
- CBP — Harbor Maintenance Fee
- CBP — ACE: filing customs and Partner Government Agency data
- USTR — Section 301 tariff actions and exclusion search
- BIS — Section 232 steel and aluminum measures
- Commerce — AD/CVD FAQs, scope and circumvention rules
- Commerce — ACCESS AD/CVD proceeding search
- CBP — UFLPA rebuttable presumption
- CPSC — Certificates and mandatory eFiling guidance
- FDA — Importing food products into the United States
- EPA — TSCA requirements for importing chemicals
- PHMSA — Lithium battery transportation requirements
- FCC — Equipment authorization
- eCFR — 19 CFR Part 177: administrative rulings
- eCFR — 19 CFR Part 134: country-of-origin marking
- eCFR — 19 CFR Part 163: recordkeeping
> Legal notice: “HS6 vs HTS vs TARIC vs commodity code vs AHTN — one product, five numbers” provides general information, not transaction-specific legal advice or an agency ruling. Verify the law, tariff edition, facts and agency instructions in effect on the entry date.
Editorial note
Prepared by the Global HS Code Checker Editorial Team for customs-classification, tariff and import-policy research. The correct code and applicable measures may change with the merchandise's actual characteristics, jurisdiction, entry date and supporting record. Verify the current tariff, governing measures and competent customs authority before filing an entry.