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How do I use the Harmonized Tarriff Schedule (HTS) to determining duty rates?
For a brief explanation of how duty rates are determined, please see the Informed Compliance publication entitled Tariff Classification. If you are seriously considering importing something, and the decision to do so is dependent on that item's rate of duty, contact an import specialist at the port you will be importing through for help on obtaining a correct classification number and duty rate. You may find the telephone number on our web site. Click on the state that you will be importing through to obtain the telephone number. Import specialists cannot be contacted through email. You must call them directly for this information. You may also find duty information in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. International Trade Commission HTS web site. Scroll down to the section that your commodity falls under and click on the chapter that relates to your commodity. The link will first take you to the chapter notes, which offer technical guidance for determining the correct classification number for items in that chapter. After the notes, you will find the classification and duty rate tables where you can attempt to determine your items' classification number and associated duty rate. Be aware that the HTS can be VERY complicated. If you self-classify an item and the classification is incorrect, the mistake can be costly. Therefore, it is advised that you speak directly with an import specialist if duty rate information is crucial to your decision to import something.
Customs & Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security
http://www.cbp.gov/
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