HS Code for Cosmetics: Guide for Skincare Trade 

Cosmetics are undoubtedly one of the most traded products in the world. Nowadays, the high consumer demand for cosmetics is due to the influence of the specific beauty standard from social media and self-pampering to reduce stress. On the other hand, the beauty brands are evolving rapidly to meet the demands of customers based on the local beauty standards. Therefore, the cosmetics international trade never recedes and is always growing. One of the requirements for transferring cosmetics across the border is the Harmonized Standard (HS) code. In this article, we will learn the structure of HS code for cosmetics and skincare, major trade players, and how to find the HS code for cosmetics and skincare. 

What are cosmetics and their functions? 

Cosmetics are self-care products made from natural or synthetic substances to maintain and enhance the appearance of users and to elevate their self-esteem. These products have functions to clean the body, change looks, and disguise the body odor by using perfume or deodorant to make the user more attractive, especially on special occasions. 

However, cosmetics not only improve the appearance, but they also have a function to protect our body and maintain hygiene, such as the application of soap and shampoo. This is important since hygiene will help us to prevent illnesses from microorganisms and viruses. On the other hand, cosmetic products such as sunscreen also protect our body or face from the ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which accelerates skin aging as well as causes serious diseases, including skin cancer. 

Those are the reasons why the application of cosmetic and skincare products is becoming more and more important these days. Therefore, in this modern era, the usage of cosmetics and skincare cannot be separated from our daily lives. Here is the list of the types of cosmetic products in the market. 

• Personal Care: These cosmetic products are specifically produced to clean and reduce body odor, including body wash, deodorant, oral care products, shaving creams, and others. 
• Skin Care: These cosmetic products are made to clean, hydrate, and enhance the facial look, including facial wash, toners, serums, sunscreen, and others. 
• Fragrance: These cosmetic products are uniquely designed to disguise body odor and complement the look. These products include perfume, body mist, essential oils, and others. 
• Hair Care: These cosmetics are made to meet the demand of making the hair clean and stunning. These products include shampoos, conditioners, and other hair treatment products, as well as hair coloring products, and others. 
• Decorative Cosmetics: These cosmetics are specifically made for decorative purposes to enhance facial looks. These products include concealers, mascara, eyeliner, powders, and lip products. 

HS code for cosmetic products

Before getting involved in trading cosmetic products, it is better to understand the HS code for cosmetics. As mentioned above, the declaration of the HS code for cosmetics is essential for transferring goods cross border. This code is the identification number for facilitating the customs authorities to identify the products or goods based on their characteristics and to determine whether there are restrictions, tariff rates, or elimination of tariff rates due to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). 

Based on the nomenclature from the World Customs Organization (WCO), HS codes for cosmetics are mostly covered under Chapter 33, and there are other cosmetic products included in other chapters. This chapter includes cosmetics, essential oils, perfumery, and others. For those of you who may not know yet about the HS code for cosmetics, you can look at the common list of the HS code for cosmetics below. 

HS code	Description
330410	HS code for lip for make-up preparation and for skin care.
330420	HS code for eye make-up preparation, especially for special occasions.
330499	HS code for other make-up preparation and skin care, such as facial cream, whitening, lotion, sunscreen, and others.
330510	HS code for shampoos and other products for cleaning hair.
330710	HS code for perfumery, especially for deodorant and antiperspirant products

For a better grasp of the structure of the HS code for cosmetics, we can break down one of the examples of the HS code provided above. We can choose the HS code for skincare under code 330499. Here is the explanation of each sequence of the HS code for cosmetics under 330499: 

• 33: Chapter of HS code for the essential oils, resinoids, including perfumery, cosmetics, and other toilet preparation products. 
• 04: Heading for beauty, especially for make-up preparation and skincare, excluding the medications. 
• 99: Subheading for other products’ beauty within HS code 3304, which includes sunscreen, lotion, and others. 

However, the HS code is only the beginning of the classification of products or goods. There are other subheadings based on the national code that you need to understand before exporting cosmetics. This is quite important to ensure that your products can enter smoothly through the international border in your destination country. 

Top 5 skincare exporters and importers worldwide

Since cosmetics are one of the most traded goods in the international market, there are some countries that make them the main export commodities. To expand your grasp of the cosmetics trade, you also need to know which countries are the global major players of the cosmetics industry, and we can narrow it down to only skincare products under HS code 330499. Here is the list of the biggest skincare exporting countries under HS code 330499 in 2024 from the UN Comtrade Database. 

Country	Total export value (USD)
France	9,845,421,996
South Korea	7,776,749,637
United States	4,714,493,127
Singapore	4,235,306,402
Germany	3,321,782,447

Source: UN Comtrade Database, accessed January 21, 2026

From the provided data above it depicts that France has become the largest exporter or seller of skincare products in the world, with a value of more than 9.8 billion USD. The second place is South Korea with a valuation of more than 7.7 billion USD. Then, they are followed by the United States, Singapore, and Germany as the third, fourth, and fifth largest buyers of skincare products, respectively. As we know, those countries have large pharmaceutical companies, especially in the beauty sector. 

After a glimpse of the largest exporters, we also need to know where the skincare products from those countries are destined. These are the largest importing countries of the skincare products under the HS code 330499 in 2024. 

Country	Total import value (USD)
China	11,953,208,184
United States	5,437,162,246
Hong Kong	3,668,422,920
United Kingdom	2,312,386,003
Singapore	2,199,238,506

Source: UN Comtrade Database, accessed January 21, 2026

The UN Comtrade data above shows that China has emerged as the biggest importer of skincare products globally, with an amount of more than 11.9 billion USD. The second place is the United States with an import value of more than 5.4 billion USD. Moreover, the third position onwards are placed by Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, and Singapore, respectively. 

Finding the HS code for cosmetics 

Before declaring the HS code for cosmetics, you need to know how to find the accurate HS code. Please note that this is a critical step before transferring products, especially cosmetics good to other countries. Since finding HS code for cosmetics is indeed complicated because of the materials. On the other hand, you need to avoid the discrepancy of HS code to ensure that the goods can enter the national border with minimal tariff barriers. 

In order to ease the complexity of looking up HS codes, HSCodeMatch exists to help all of the international trade parties. As an AI-powered application, HSCodeMatch will provide the most significant or best preference HS code that matches your products instantly. Here is the step-by-step guide for looking up the HS code for cosmetics under code 330499 using HSCodeMatch. 

• First step: Open the HSCodeMatch application through your web browser by accessing hscodematch.com. Then, choose the HS Code Search tools to find the HS code for cosmetics. For example, we can use the largest exporter and importer of products under HS code 330499, such as South Korea to China. 

• Second step: Please choose one of the HS code lists provided on the HSCodeMatch application. The lists of HS codes are based on the best preference HS code from the data you submitted, with a lower tariff. For this example, we can choose the first row and the most matched HS code, 3304990021. 

• Third step: After clicking HS code 3304990021, you will be redirected to the HS Code Details page. This page provides the explanation of the selected HS code from the chapter to the subheading. Also, there is information about the general duty rate 1% and the customs authority tariff rate 5.2%.

• Fourth step: When we move to the lower section of the HS Code Details, there is information regarding regulations as well as actual tariff rates. HSCodeMatch also provides an AI chatbot assistant to alleviate your confusion in order to find the latest regulations and tariff rates. 

For more information about the AI chatbot assistant, we can provide an example of the answers. These are examples of the answer regarding exporting cosmetics under HS code 3304990021 from South Korea to China. 

What are the tariff rates and applicable conditions for cosmetics HS code 3304990021 under the China-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA)?

Under the China-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the cosmetic products under the HS code 3304990021 from South Korea are subject to a tariff rate of 5.2% in China. This FTA has been implemented since December 20, 2015, and it also applies to other countries that has a FTA with China. The tariff export for Korean skincare has been reduced to 5.2% based on this FTA regime. This is the summary table for exporting skincare from South Korea to China. 

Tariff Detail	Information
Agreement	China-Korea FTA
Tariff Rate	5.2%
Date implemented	December 20, 2015
FTA Code	KR
Applicable Country	Free Trade Area Nation with China

What documentation is required to qualify for the preferential tariff rate under the China-Korea FTA?

In order to qualify for the preferential tariff regime or China-Korea FTA, there are several documents that need to be prepared. Those required documents for the China-Korea FTA include a Certificate of Origin (COO), which is issued by the Korean authority. This certificate must inform that the goods are originally from South Korea, not other countries. In addition, the importer of skincare products must submit a declaration that they comply with the customs procedures based on the FTA. 

Are there any additional conditions or requirements for importing HS code 3304990021 from South Korea to China?

Yes, there are additional conditions for importing HS code 3304990021 from other countries, including South Korea, to China. They must comply with the customs documentation, such as labeling requirements, product information, and safety standard as well as quality assessment. This is the breakdown of the requirements as follows: 

• Labeling and Documentation

All imported products under HS code 3304990021 must go with the certificate of import and cosmetic labeling verification. If the products from the BSE-infected animals are, then they must has quarantine certificate from the exporting country. 

• Safety and Quality Standard Compliance

Importers have to ensure that their products meet the Chinese technical standard, including the labelling, formulation, and safety risks. The products under HS code 3304990021 must have a domestic in China that responsibility party to handle the submission and compliance. 

• Registration and Record-Keeping

Registration processes are mandatory for all cosmetics from other countries to China, including submitting product details, safety assessment, and proof of the manufacturer’s quality management system. In addition, importers must notes about the invoice and sales record for at least 1-2 years for customs assessment. 

• Additional Restriction

Products for children that contain new raw materials might face stricter inspection. On the other hand, cosmetic products from some entities under supervision most likely need extra documentation or proof of market availability in the countries where they come from. 

Summary table of key requirements: 

Requirement	Detail description
Labelling Verification Certificate	This is a compulsory document for customs clearance
BSE Quarantine Certificate	This document is required only if the products from the BSE-infected regions
Domestic Responsible Party	Importers must select the Chinese entities to handle the compliance law from the Chinese authority.
Registration	The registration is compulsory for the data products, assessment, and quality management evidence.
Record Keeping Documentation	There is a minimum of 1 to 2 years of import and sales documentation of the products

Conclusion 

The declaration of the HS code for cosmetics is only the initial step, yet the most significant impact for international trade process. Thus, all of the international trade parties must understand the components of their products before finding the correct structure of the HS code for cosmetics. Meanwhile, the HS code for cosmetics is mostly under the chapter 33 from the WCO nomenclature. Subsequently, you can look up the two-digit headings and the two-digit subheadings based on the criteria from your products. Then, find the additional subheading from the national code in the destination country. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about HS code for cosmetics

Are there any FTAs between China and South Korea for exporting cosmetic products? 

Yes, cosmetic products from South Korea to China are covered by the China-Korea FTA. This agreement ensures that the tariff rate for exporting cosmetic products from Korea to China can be reduced. 

What is the tariff rate for exporting skincare products from South Korea to China? 

The tariff for exporting skincare or cosmetics products from South Korea to China is 5.2%. This product’s tariff rate is included in the China-Korea FTA that implemented in December 2015 to reduce the tariff rate. 

Do the substance materials of the skincare affect the HS code for cosmetics? 

No, most of the 6-digit HS codes for skincare or cosmetic products are solely determined by their shape and functions. Therefore, you do not need to classify the substance within the products in order to find the accurate HS code for beauty products. 

What are the criteria to determine the HS code for beauty products? 

The important criteria for defining the HS code for beauty products are based on their functions and applications. If the cosmetics are created for the eye, they can be included under the HS code 330420. Then, if the cosmetics have a function for lip care or lipstick, it covers under the HS code 330410. 

Are there any cosmetic products that are not included in the HS code chapter 33? 

Yes, several cosmetic products are not covered under Chapter 33, including cosmetic products that have batteries, which are more likely to be included under the electronic products instead of cosmetics. On the other hand, make-up brushes are under the HS chapter 96.