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Every six years, the worldwide six-digit HS commodity code is updated. This is done to keep item codes up to date, for example, new product categories, such as 3-d printers and drones, are easier to identify.
The next update will take effect on January 1, 2022 and will affect both importers and exporters. The update also affects the KN and TARIC codes.
The changes will be incorporated into the upcoming version of the Customs Tariff, which will come into effect on January 1, 2022, as well as in TARIC and eVITA.
Read more about the changes in HS product codes on the World Customs Organization ( WCO ) website
Check the product code of the business
Should businesses check if the product code in use is still valid after January 1, 2022?
If after January 1, 2022, goods using HS codes no longer exist, the declaration will be rejected in the customs system.
Modified CN Code (export)
The revised CN code can be found by looking up its product sector in the Commission’s Implementation Regulations . In this table, the star icon marks the new CN codes and the square icon marks the changed CN codes.
If only the CN code (eight-digit commodity code) is used, as an exporter, it is possible to update the commodity code using the EU Commission correlation table . In the list you will find the existing CN codes that have been changed and also see the new codes that apply from 1 January 2022.
Please note that the board is a convenience and is not legally binding.
Modified (imported) TARIC code
If using the TARIC (ten-digit product code), as an importer, it is possible to smoothly start the update work now based on the existing CN codes.
However, the update could not be completed because the new TARIC code is not ready. Most TARIC tokens will be ready by mid-December, but some won’t be available until the end of December.
See at the bottom of the page how to manually check if the new TARIC code is ready?
What product areas do the changes apply to?
Below, some of the most important product areas with the changes can be seen. Please note that the list is not exhaustive.
For some fields that are completely new (first four digits of the item code), and for others, there may be only structural changes or some other change.
New product group:
• Products containing tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, nicotine or tobacco and nicotine substitutes, intended for inhalation without burning; other nicotine-containing products for the absorption of nicotine into the human body (heading 2404)
• Additive manufacturing machines – 3D printing (heading 8485)
• Flat panel modules (heading 8524)
• Waste from electrical and electronic equipment (heading 8549)
• Unmanned aerial vehicles (heading 8806).
Group of products with structural changes:
• Olive oil (headings 1509 and 1510)
• Glass fibers and articles thereof (heading 7019)
• Machine tools for working metal (heading 8462)
• Archaeological, ethnographic, historical, zoology, botany, mineralogical, anatomical, paleontological or paleontological collections and collectors’ items (heading 9705) .
Other product areas with major changes:
• Yogurt: In the future, it will be allowed to add to yogurt, for example, vegetable, part plant, cereal or baked goods, heading 0403. This means that certain goods are currently classified. in group 1901 will be transferred to group 0403.
• Textiles and garments (mainly of headings 6201 and 6202).
• Tractors and freight vehicles (headings 8701 and 8704), in which the newly added product codes are hybrid and electric vehicles (with similar product codes for passenger cars).
• Lamps and lighting articles (heading 9405), including the accompanying new codes for lamps using only LED light sources.
In addition, there are a number of new commodity codes for goods covered by international conventions. Most of these changes relate to Chapters 28, 29, 38, 84 and 85 of the Customs Tariff.
How to test new code in TARIC
You can check for yourself whether new TARICs are ready by searching for TARIC:
• Select “Correclation table” in the “Nomenclature” menu.
• Set the start date to 31122021.
• Fill in any item code with the first two (or more) digits, if you are only interested in a selection of item codes.
Please note that results may include invalid TARIC codes. Invalid codes can be identified by “No” in the “Can be used” column (these are HS codes or CN codes that cannot be removed due to system engineering reasons).