Do not assume a supplier’s commodity code is ready for your declaration. Identify the jurisdiction and trade direction first, then select the corresponding official research route. This checklist prepares that research; it does not classify your goods.
The shared reference and its boundary
The Harmonized System provides a shared six-digit foundation, while countries can extend codes beyond it. A longer code therefore needs a country-specific check. See the International Trade Administration overview. For UK use, HMRC specifically says to check how much of an overseas supplier code applies and whether its treatment is the same: HMRC overseas-code guidance.
Choose the research route
| Movement | Resource identified in the supplied guidance | Starting reference |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. export | Schedule B | ITA explanation of U.S. export classification |
| U.S. import | HTS | ITA explanation of U.S. import classification |
| UK import or export | Trade Tariff tool and classification help | HMRC guidance on finding commodity codes |
These are research starting points, not classification results. If your movement falls outside these jurisdictions, this selector leaves the route unresolved.
Worked example: conflicting movement notes
Hypothetical example: a business is preparing a UK import. Its supplier sends a number labelled “export code” without naming the country. A second internal note describes the movement as a U.S. export. No product details or code digits are supplied in this example.
| Context | Effect on research | Next inquiry |
|---|---|---|
| UK import is the stated task | Use the UK route as the research lead, but leave the supplier number’s UK applicability unresolved. | Ask the supplier which country and import or export purpose the number represents, and whether it describes the same goods. |
| The internal note also says U.S. export | Do not silently replace the UK route or assume the two descriptions conflict. | Ask whether the notes describe separate export and import legs of one movement, or whether one note is incorrect. |
| Both legs are subsequently confirmed | Keep separate research notes: Schedule B for the U.S. export and HMRC guidance for the UK import. | Check the received number’s relevance to each leg independently; do not copy the entire number between them. |
The reconciliation changes the research plan, not the classification. If the movement cannot be confirmed, keep route selection provisional. In every branch, missing digits, the correct product code, duties and treatment remain unknown. Resolving which movement a note describes does not resolve those separate questions.
Prepare a private research note
The following worksheet is an editorial organizing aid, not an official form. Keep received information separate from conclusions reached during research. An empty field is more useful than an unsupported answer.
| Field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction and import or export direction | ________ |
| Supplier code exactly as received | ________ |
| Who supplied it, when, and any stated country or purpose | ________ |
| Product description and available specifications | ________ |
| Selected official research route | ________ |
| Official page consulted and consultation date | ________ |
| Missing information and unanswered questions | ________ |
| Next inquiry and person responsible | ________ |
Before continuing, check whether your note explains what the received number was intended to represent. If that context is absent, record the gap rather than silently treating the number as a confirmed answer. Do not fill the remaining digits simply to make the worksheet look complete.
Use the note without overstating it
Take the prepared note to the selected official resource. Record what it answers and what remains uncertain. This exercise does not establish your goods’ code, origin, duty amount or compliance outcome.
Source basis: supplied excerpts captured on 24 October 2026; the supplied source-check record is dated 25 October 2026. No fresh tariff-tool or service-availability check was performed. Revisit the research when the jurisdiction, trade direction, product information or official guidance changes.
