How is the schedule organized?
Goods are grouped into sections, chapters, headings and subheadings. U.S. tariff and statistical detail extends the international Harmonized System structure. Section and chapter notes, the General Rules of Interpretation, and other legal text are part of the classification process.
How do you use it?
Start with a precise description and the product's origin, then compare candidate provisions in the relevant HTS revision. Review base rates, any applicable Chapter 99 provisions, exclusions and reporting requirements. A licensed customs broker can help assess a specific shipment.
What is legal text and what is a reference aid?
USITC identifies the General Rules of Interpretation, relevant section and chapter notes, and the terms of headings and subheadings as legal text. Statistical reporting numbers provide additional reporting detail; endnotes and footnotes help readers find other provisions but their presence or absence does not itself change the legal text.
USITC: What is legal in the HTS? · USITC: Endnotes and footnotes
Official sources
- Official USITC tariff schedule — check the current schedule, chapter notes, and applicable Chapter 99 provisions.
- USITC: Harmonized tariff information and revisions
- USITC: HTS revision archive
This guide is general information, not a duty determination. Confirm classification, origin, applicable measures, and the entry date with a licensed customs broker.