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FrançaisHarmonized System (HS)
A method of classifying goods in international trade developed by the World Customs Organization. The core system contains 96 chapters and classifies at six-digit lever, with the first two numbers indicating appropriate chapter, the second two numbers indicating the appropriate heading within the chapter and the third two numbers indicating the appropriate sub-heading within the heading. It is organized into 99 chapters arranged in 22 sections with sections generally covering an industry (e.g. Section XI, textiles and Textiles Articles) and the chapters covering the various materials and products of the industry (e.g. Chapter 50, Silk). Many countries place additional digits after the six-digit HS number to achieve greater classification precision. For example, the United States uses ten-digit numbers for export and import classification, of which the first six are harmonized. See also HS 6-digit. Harmonized System Classification.
