Comparison
Comparing HS codes
Line up two to four codes on the same rows (description, duties, unit, notes, rulings) to settle between neighbouring headings.
The comparison tool puts two to four codes side by side, one per column, with the same attributes aligned row by row. It is for the moment when several headings remain defensible for one product. It is included in every plan.
When to use it
- The assistant proposes several codes and the justifications are evenly matched.
- Two official wordings are nearly identical and differ by a single word.
- A classification inherited from an earlier file needs to be held against an alternative.
- The classification changes with the material or the way the product is presented, and you need to see the duty gap.
Building the comparison
1Fill the first two slots
Each slot searches from 3 characters, over code digits as well as description words. Two valid codes are enough to run the comparison.
2Add up to two more codes
Add a code opens a third and then a fourth slot, each removable on its own. A slot can be cleared and refilled at any time.
3Run it
Run the comparison produces the table. A code that cannot be found is flagged as such in its own column, without blocking the others.
Starting from a code page
On a code page, Compare this code opens the tool with that code already in place: all that is left is to enter its rival.
Reading the table
Code and description
The code is clickable and opens its full page in a new tab. Compare the descriptions word for word: "other than…", "excluding…", "put up in sets" are the phrases that decide a classification.
Import duties and unit
The rate and unit for each line. A dash marks a missing value. The duty gap is worth knowing, never a criterion for choosing: the nature of the product determines the code.
Notes
References to the explanatory notes attached to each code, where they exist. When two neighbouring codes point to different notes, the reason for the distinction is almost always right there.
Rulings
The classification rulings tied to each code. A ruling on a product close to yours is the strongest argument you can have.
Good practice
- Compare codes of the same length: a 4-digit heading and a 10-digit code are not read on the same level.
- Read the whole description, including what follows the comma.
- Open the notes and rulings before settling on a choice.
- Once you have the code, save it with a note recording the code you rejected and why: that is what makes the decision reproducible and defensible.