How to Manage HS Codes

Harmonized System (HS) codes classify products for customs purposes. CargoLint extracts HS codes from documents and helps you verify or adjust classifications, ensuring accurate customs declarations and duty calculations.

Before you start

• You have documents with product information ready for review
• You understand your products’ categories (for example, “electronics,” “textiles,” “machinery”)
• You know your relevant trade regulations or have access to a customs broker
• You’re in the review queue with a document open

Steps

1. Understand what HS codes are

HS codes are six-digit international product classifications assigned by the Harmonized System, a standardized format recognized worldwide. HS codes determine tariff rates, import restrictions, and regulatory requirements. For example, cotton t-shirts use code 610510, while polyester t-shirts use 610520-two different classifications based on material.

2. Locate extracted HS codes in the review editor

When you open a document in the Review Queue, extracted HS codes appear in the product section. Each code displays the extracted value and its confidence percentage. If CargoLint found relevant codes, they’re listed; if not, the field is blank for you to add. Flagged HS code issues in the Document Issues panel open the same search directly.

3. Search by commodity description

Click the HS code field to open the Find HS Code search. Describe the commodity in plain trade language - at least 3 characters, then press Enter (for example, “stainless steel hex bolts M8 with nuts”). CargoLint’s AI analyses the description and returns the most relevant HS codes, each with its full description and a confidence score. If the document already carries a code, it’s shown alongside the results so you can check it against the matches.

When your wording differs from the tariff’s own vocabulary, the search may offer a “Did you mean” rephrase - the nomenclature’s term for your trade word. Clicking it re-runs the search with the corrected query.

4. Refine ambiguous classifications

If multiple codes could apply, the search asks guided attribute questions - material, use, form - as one-click choices. Answering narrows the candidates and updates the confidence of each match. When the top match is already strong, the questions stay out of the way; choose Refine with attributes if you want to narrow further anyway. When still uncertain, consult your commodity codes reference or a customs broker-choosing the wrong code can cause compliance issues.

5. Verify and apply the code

Once a match is confident enough, apply it with Use this code. The full code description is shown alongside the code - verify it matches your product before confirming. For binding duty rates, take the confirmed code to your customs broker or the destination authority’s tariff database.

Note: AI-powered search has a daily allowance that depends on your plan; the dialog shows today’s usage. If the allowance is used up or the AI service is briefly unavailable, the search falls back to keyword matching and tells you so in a banner.

6. Update codes across multiple documents

If you correct an HS code for a product type that appears in multiple documents, CargoLint can suggest the same code in future documents. Over time, the system learns your common products and their correct classifications.

7. Document code changes

All changes to HS codes are logged in your audit trail. This creates a compliance record showing who classified each product and when, which is valuable if customs authorities question your declarations.

Tip: Build a library of your company’s products with their correct HS codes. Reference this during review to ensure consistency across shipments.

Tip: HS codes can change annually, and some products face new regulations based on trade agreements. Check your local customs authority’s updates quarterly to stay current.

What’s next

• Reviewing Documents - Refine extracted data in the review queue
• Exporting Data - Download documents with finalized HS codes
• Filtering and Search - Find documents by product type or HS code