Schedule B vs HTS Codes: When to Use Each

Both are 10-digit commodity codes. Both classify the same physical goods. But you can't use them interchangeably, and the wrong one on the wrong side of a shipment can mean penalties. Here's the practical distinction.

The short answer

Schedule B codes are for U.S. exports. They're published by the U.S. Census Bureau and used when you're filing the Electronic Export Information (EEI) for goods leaving the country.

HTS codes — short for Harmonized Tariff Schedule — are for U.S. imports. They're published by the U.S. International Trade Commission and used when you're declaring goods entering the country (and determining what tariff applies).

They look identical: 10 digits, hierarchical structure, often the same first six digits for the same physical good. But they live in different reference manuals and serve different administrative purposes.

They share a foundation

Both Schedule B and HTS are built on the Harmonized System (HS) maintained by the World Customs Organization — a six-digit classification scheme that 200+ countries agree on for the same physical goods.

The first six digits of a Schedule B code and the first six digits of the U.S. HTS code for the same good will always match. It's the last four digits (the U.S.-specific extensions) where they diverge — Schedule B carries export-statistics granularity that the HTS doesn't, and the HTS carries duty-rate granularity Schedule B doesn't.

A practical example: stainless steel kitchen sinks might be classified as:

• Schedule B: 7324.10.0000 (sinks of stainless steel for kitchens)
• HTS: 7324.10.0010 or 7324.10.0050 (depending on whether double-bowl or single-bowl)

Same first six digits. Different statistical detail.

Where they're administered

• Schedule B: U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division
• HTS: U.S. International Trade Commission

Both are free to use. Both have official online lookup tools. Both are updated periodically — Schedule B annually, HTS annually with occasional mid-year revisions when tariff schedules change.

How to find your code

For most commodities, the Schedule B lookup is the right starting point:

1. If you're exporting, that's the code you need
2. If you're importing, you can find the Schedule B for your good first, then look up the matching HTS by searching the same six-digit root

We've also built a free HS Code lookup tool on this site that searches both Schedule B and HTS in one interface — useful for forwarders, brokers, and shippers verifying classifications.

The "Quantity 2" wrinkle

Schedule B and HTS codes carry units of measure alongside the numeric classification. Most codes require one unit (typically kilograms or number of pieces), but some require two units — for example, "Doors and frames of wood" requires both kilograms AND number of pieces.

This matters when you file the EEI. The form will demand quantity and unit for whichever the code dictates. If you ship 100 doors but only enter the kilogram weight, the filing will reject. The unit-of-measure for a given code is encoded in the official Schedule B database, and our online SLI form has Quantity 2 and Quantity 2 Unit fields that you fill in when the code requires them.

When penalties apply

Misclassification — using the wrong code, even by a digit — can trigger:

• Census Bureau fines for inaccurate export statistics (typically modest, in the hundreds of dollars per filing)
• Customs (CBP) duty corrections for imports, plus penalties if the wrong code resulted in underpayment of duties (these can be substantial — a percentage of the duty owed)
• Delays at customs while the discrepancy is sorted out — this is the most common real-world cost
• Increased audit risk for repeat misclassifications

In practice, occasional honest classification errors aren't penalized harshly — agencies focus on patterns. But "we always classify everything as the lowest-duty code" is the kind of pattern that draws audits.

When you should ask for help

If you're shipping a commodity for the first time, or if it's novel (technology that didn't exist five years ago), or if a classification could plausibly fall under more than one code — getting a second opinion is cheap insurance. Your forwarder can usually help; for complex cases, a licensed customs broker is the right call.

Using our tools

• HS Code and Schedule B Lookup — free search across both classifications
• The online SLI form has the lookup tool embedded directly inside Section E so you can search and select without leaving the form

If you'd rather have us classify your commodities for you, request a quote — we'll review classifications as part of the routing workup.