Customs codes: How are goods classified?

The Customs Tariff or HS Code (Harmonized System) is a globally standardized 11-digit code used for classifying products. It is utilized for the import and export of various goods between countries. In the customs tariff system, products are categorized into 21 sections and 97 chapters. Let’s take a look at how the customs tariff is classified, the different types of goods, and which categories they fall into.”

Is there anything specific you would like to know about the classification of goods or the HS Code system?

The HS Code system categorizes goods based on the stages of production into 21 sections and 97 chapters, totaling 5,386 types.

Category 1: Animals; live animals and animal products (Chapters 1-5)

Category 2: Vegetable products (Chapters 6-14)

Category 3: Animal or vegetable fats and oils; products of their splitting; organic chemicals (Chapter 15)

Category 4: Prepared foodstuffs, beverages, spirits, and tobacco; tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes (Chapters 16-24)

Category 6: Chemical products (Chapters 28-38)

Category 7: Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof (Chapters 39-40)

Category 8: Raw hides and skins, leather, furskins, and articles thereof; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags, and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silk-worm gut) (Chapters 41-43)

Category 9: Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal; cork and articles of cork; manufactures of straw, of esparto, or of other plaiting materials; basketware and wickerwork (Chapters 44-46)

Category 10: Pulp of wood or other fibrous cellulosic material; recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard; paper and paperboard and articles thereof (Chapters 47-49)

Category 11: Textiles and textile articles (Chapters 50-63)

Category 12: Footwear, headgear, umbrellas, sun umbrellas, walking-sticks, seat-sticks, whips, riding-crops, and parts thereof; prepared feathers and articles made of feathers; artificial flowers; articles of human hair (Chapters 64-67)

Category 13: Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica, or similar materials; ceramic products; glass and glassware (Chapters 68-70)

Category 14: Pearls, precious stones, and metals; coins (Chapter 71)

Category 15: Base metals and articles of base metal (Chapters 72-83)

Category 16: Machinery and mechanical appliances; 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)

Category 17: Vehicles; aircraft; vessels and associated transport equipment (Chapters 86-89)

Category 18: Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical, or surgical instruments and apparatus; clocks and watches; musical instruments; parts and accessories thereof (Chapters 90-92)

Category 19: Arms and ammunition; parts and accessories thereof (Chapter 93)

Category 20: Miscellaneous manufactured articles (Chapters 94-96)

Category 21: Works of art, collectors’ pieces, and antiques (Chapter 97)

Channels for Finding Customs Codes and Product Codes

• Customs Department website www.customs.go.th under ‘Search for Customs Tariff Rates’ or at Tariff e-service www.tariffeservice.customs.go.th
• Search through the Mobile Application called ‘HS Check’ available on both Google Play and the App Store. Further information about customs tariff can be found at www.ecs-support.github.io

Source: Customs Department