Harmonized System 2022 Changes – What You Need To Know

The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, known as the Harmonized System (HS), is a system developed to classify goods in shipments entering WCO member countries. The classification system assigns accurate duty rates on all imports and allows the trade flow to be tracked.  

Every five years, the World Customs Organization (WCO) conducts a general review of HS numbers to ensure they reflect changes in technology, new product steams, and environmental/ social issues of global concerns. The HS 2022, entered into force on Jan. 11, 2022, with 351 sets of amendments, covering a wide range of products. 

The driving factors of the 2022 HS code changes include: 

  • New product stream
  • Technological advancement and product innovation
  •  Environmental impact
  •  Healthy and safety reasons
  •  Boarder security

The main changes in HS 2022 can be found in the following chapters:

  • Live Animals; Animal Products (Chapters 02, 03, 04)
  • Vegetable Products (Chapters 07, 08, 12)
  •  Animal, Vegetable or Microbial Fats and Oils and Their Cleavage Products; Prepared Edible Fats; Animal or Vegetable Waxes (Chapter 15)
  •  Prepared Foodstuffs; Beverages, Spirits, and Vinegar; Tobacco and Manufactured Tobacco Substitutes (Chapters 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24)
  • Products of the Chemical or Allied Industries (Chapters 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38)
  • Plastic and Articles Thereof; Rubber and Articles Thereof (Chapters 39, 40)
  • Wood and Articles of Wood; Wood Charcoal (Chapter 44)
  • Textiles and Textile Articles (Chapters 55, 57, 61, 62)
  • Articles of Stone, Plaster, Cement, Asbestos, Mica or Similar Materials; Ceramic Products; Glass and Glassware (Chapters 68, 70)
  • Base Metal and Articles of Base Metal (Chapters 73, 74, 81)
  • Machinery and Mechanical Appliance; Electrical Equipment; Parts Thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of Such Articles (Chapters 84, 85)
  • Vehicles, Aircraft, Vessels and Associated Transport Equipment (Chapter 87, 88, 89)

Following a Presidential Proclamation 10326, the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has made January 27, 2022 the effective date for all changes to HTS codes. For updated HTS code, you can find the current list of HTS numbers. Be reminded that the HTS codes are for imports only. 

The U.S. Census Bureau has published a list of codes containing the first of two updates for January 2022. Please scroll down to the Obsolete Codes section, and note that the Schedule B search and browse have not yet reflected the changes.