HTS code
An HTS code is the 10-digit U.S. tariff classification for a product under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. The first six digits follow the international Harmonized System, the eight-digit level sets the duty rate, and the last two digits are statistical.
Every product imported into the U.S. is classified under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSUS), maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission. The first six digits are the Harmonized System code shared by most countries, including Mexico and Canada; the remaining digits are U.S.-specific. Mexico's equivalent is the fracción arancelaria, and Canada uses its own customs tariff built on the same six digits.
Classification is the importer's legal responsibility, usually handled by its customs broker, and it drives the duty rate, whether the goods qualify under USMCA, and whether other agencies such as the FDA must clear them.
What this means when you move freight
Brokers do not classify freight, but they feel the consequences: a disputed or wrong classification is a common reason for a hold. The Mexican export and the U.S. entry should describe the same product; when their classifications diverge without a clear reason, it can trigger a hold on either side. Pass the code from the shipper to both customs brokers early.
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