HS code vs HTS code vs Schedule B — the difference

HS code, HTS code, Schedule B — they look interchangeable, they share their first six digits, and people use the terms loosely. But they are three different codes for three different jobs, and picking the wrong one leads to rejected filings, wrong duty and mismatched paperwork. Here's the clean version.

HS code — the international foundation

The Harmonized System code is the six-digit international standard maintained by the World Customs Organization. Every country that uses HS — over 200 of them — shares these first six digits for a given product. It's the common language of global trade. But six digits isn't enough to charge duty; it's the root that national schedules build on.

HTS code — for US imports

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule code is the US import code. It takes the six-digit HS root and adds four more digits — a two-digit subheading and a two-digit statistical suffix — to make a 10-digit number. This is the code CBP uses to assess duty on goods coming into the United States. If you are importing, HTS is the code you need, and you need all ten digits.

Schedule B — for US exports

Schedule B is the US export code, administered by the Census Bureau. Like the HTS it is a 10-digit code built on the same six-digit HS root, but it exists for statistical tracking of exports, not for charging duty. Its 7–10 digit breakouts are structured differently from the HTS's. When you file export documentation (like the Electronic Export Information), you use Schedule B.

• HS (6 digits): international standard, shared worldwide.
• HTS (10 digits): US imports, sets the duty rate, from the USITC.
• Schedule B (10 digits): US exports, statistical, from the Census Bureau.
• All three share the same first six digits for the same product.

Can you use an HTS code for exports (or vice versa)?

Sometimes, but be careful. In many cases a valid HTS number is accepted for export filing, but not always — some HTS lines have no valid Schedule B equivalent and vice versa, because their 7–10 digit statistical breakouts differ. The safe rule: use HTS for imports and Schedule B for exports, and don't assume the digits after position six are the same in both.

Which one do you actually need?

1. Bringing goods INTO the US and paying duty → HTS code (USITC).
2. Sending goods OUT of the US and filing export data → Schedule B (Census).
3. Talking to an overseas supplier or reading a foreign tariff → the 6-digit HS root.

For imports, always confirm the HTS line against the official schedule before you file — the six shared digits are the same, but the US import rate lives in the last four.