HTSUS Code vs HS Code vs ECCN and Schedule B: What is the Difference? 

There are many abbreviations and terms in global trade. However, these terms are important for those of you who are involved in international trade. The grasp of these terms will ensure that you do not incorrectly classify or misunderstand the requirement for transferring goods across borders. Harmonized Standard (HS) code is one of the most used and heard in global trade, but you may find other similar shortened versions of it, such as HTS code, HTSUS code, ECCN, or Schedule B. What are the differences among them? Here, we will dissect the HTS code vs. the HS code as well as other abbreviations in the related context. 

What is an HS code? What is the difference from the regular HS code? 

HS code stands for Harmonized System code, commonly known as the code to classify traded products (whether imported or exported). HS code was made and regulated by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1983 through the Harmonized System (HS) Convention. Yet, it has only been official since 1988. 

HS code consists of 6 digits. The first 2 digits mention one of the chapters (it has more than 90 chapters as of 2025, with possible additions in the future). It was followed by a 2-digit heading and 2 more digits that indicate the subheading. While the chapter rules the general classification, such as fabric, raw food, or machinery; headings and subheadings provide more detail of the objects or products, for example, materials, functions, specifications, types, etc. 

An example of HS code application in trade can be seen below. 

Chapter	20	This chapter regulates processed vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants
Heading	2001	Classification code for vegetables, fruit, nuts, and other edible plants or parts of plants, which are prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid
Subheading	200190	Code to classify vinegar or acetic acid preserved edible plants other than cucumbers and gherkins, for example: olives, garlics, peppers, etc.

Instead of mentioning only the chapter and heading (2 digits or 4 digits), traders are obliged to classify their products as detailed as possible, thus 6-digit HS codes are the norm to be mentioned in the packages. 

What is the HTS code? 

While HS code is widely accepted worldwide, there are some individual countries or sovereignties that require their business partners to give additional digits on the code. This is when HTS code and other particular classification codes come to the stage. May we begin with HTS code vs HS code. 

HTS code is the Harmonized Tariff Schedule code, which is also known as HTSUS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule for the United States). This code is required for any business doing trade with the United States. If you are about to ship or import products into the US, you need to check additional documents prepared by the United States International Trade Commission. This code has been considered official since 1989 and has become the norm for any US trade partners across the globe. 

In general, the HTS code follows the widely accepted HS code hierarchy. Therefore, you still need to make sure your product’s HS code has already complied with the WCO regulations. The first 6 digits are basically the regular HS code, but the US requires you to add 2 more digits to indicate more details for their own statistics and other interests. Mainly to identify the duty rate. 

See the example below to get a better framework of HTS code vs HS code.  

HS code	080251	The WCO HS code for dried pistachios in shell
HTS code (8 digits)	08025100	Indicate pistachios in shell get 0.9¢/kg duty, free for specific origin countries (such as Australia, Singapore, Bahrain, etc.) or has higher duty rate for other particular countries (North Korea, Cuba, Russia, etc.)
HTS code (10 digits)	0802120005	Code to classify shelled almonds with a certified organic label

HS code vs HTS code 

So, what is the difference between HS code and HTS code? The most visible difference between the two is the number of digits. When HS codes stop at 6 digits, HTSUS or HTS codes have 8 digits, even 10 if applicable, according to the official HTS code document. However, there are more differences you may want to check on the HS code vs HTS code table below. 

Features	HS Code	HTS Code
Applicable in	Worldwide	Individual country: United States
Length (number of digits)	6 digits	8–10 digits
Function and purpose	International trade and global statistics	National imports and statistics

However, an 8–10-digit code similar to the US system is also applied by several individual countries and sovereignties. For example, Canada, Japan, the European Union, ASEAN, and many more. 

What is ECCN? 

If you are interested in doing trade with the United States business units, understanding the HS code and the HTS code is not enough. It is also obligatory for you to know other essential abbreviations. One of them is ECCN, which stands for Export Control Classification Number. It consists of 5 alphanumeric codes to identify dual-use items. This additional regulation is created for export control purposes. 

Commodities, both in the form of software, hardware, and physical goods that carry the potential to be used for military and terrorism activities, may need ECCN. The specific examples of these are high-spec computers, drones with advanced features, biological materials, chemical compounds, nuclear materials, sensors, navigations, lasers, commercial encryption software, and many more. 

ECCN structure	Purposes
Category number	List of products considered sensitive, such as nuclear materials, chemicals, microorganisms and toxins, computers, telecommunications, information security, electronics, navigation and avionics, marine, aerospace, sensors and lasers, etc.
Product group letter	Identify the functions or form of the products, whether it is end items, equipment, accessories, software, raw materials, technology, or equipment for production, test, and inspection

What is Schedule B? 

As a trader, you may hear Schedule B, a 10-digit code that is often confused with an HTS code. However, Schedule B is a code required for exporters from the US to ship their physical goods abroad. Similar to the HTS code, the regulations are created and managed by the United States International Trade Commission. This code is made for national statistics purposes, which allows the US government to track and verify the exported products. The structure is similar to the  HTS code, but intended exclusively for exporters originally from the US. 

Examples of Schedule B 

Schedule B	Products
0105110010	breeding stock (purebred or not purebred) that is classified as a layer type (egg-producer)
0105110020	breeding stock (whether purebred or not) that is classified as broiler type (meat-producer)

How to Find HTSUS Code

To complete our understanding of HTS vs HS code, we begin by knowing how to find them. As mentioned above, HTSUS is a specific code or national code in the United States, which consists of a 6 to 8-digit code, and this is the extension of the 6-digit HS code that is recognized internationally.  Finding HTSUS is quite complicated because we need to ensure the extension classification code in the United States database. 

Instead of using a manual way to classify the products on HTSUS and HS code, there is an easy way to find HTSUS using a third-party application, such as HSCodeMatch. HTSUS is essential to streamlining all of the products from other countries to the United States. These are the step-by-step instructions to find the HTSUS of a product using HSCodeMatch. 

• First step: To find the HTSUS, you need to open the HSCodeMatch application on hscodematch.com. Then, open the application and click the HS Code Search tool. Setting the product’s name and country of origin and destination, for this example, we can use wooden furniture from Poland to the United States. 

• Second step: HSCodeMatch will provide the most relevant HTSUS code without the need to find it manually. Also, this app gives the best HTSUS code for wooden furniture to reduce tariffs and other restrictions. Based on the results, we determine the products under the HTSUS code 9403604000. 

• Third step: Once you click the View Details, you will be directed to the HS Code Details. This page has full information on the HTSUS code description and the import duty rate to check whether this code is what you are looking for to export products to the United States. 

• Fourth step: Below the HS code description and tariff rate information, there is detailed information on the regulation on HS Code Details. On the right side, you can find the AI Assistant to help you find the specific regulation based on the provided document related to the product and country of origin. In this case, the regulations are from the United States. 

In order to know more about the AI chatbot assistant on HSCodeMatch, we provided the questions and answers for exporting the wooden furniture under HS code 9403604000 from Poland to the United States. 

What is the tariff rate for exporting wooden furniture under HS code 9403604000 from Poland to the United States?

To import bent wooden furniture under HS code 9403604000 in the United States from Poland is free or 0% based on the General Duty Rate. Whereas, if the products are not qualified for the General Duty Rate based on Column 2 Rate of Duty, then they can be subject to a 42.5% tariff rate. The exporters from Poland do not need to apply for the Column 2 Rate of Duty because it is included as a Most Favored Nation (MFN) or non-preferential tariff in the United States. This is mainly rooted from the fact that the two countries do not have a bilateral or multilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA). 

Factor	Details
HS Code	9403604000 (bent-wood furniture)
General Rate of Duty	Free (0%)
Column 2 Rate of Duty	42.5% tariff rate, but it does not apply to Poland
Antidumping/Countervailing Duty	There are possibility if the United States confirms any unfair practices
Trade Agreement	MFN status
Quotas	None

What are the customs requirements to import wooden furniture under HS code 9403604000 from Poland to the United States?

In order to enter the United States, there are some product requirements from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that apply to the wooden furniture from abroad, including Poland. Here is the requirement for the importers: 

1. Declaring all of the wooden furniture intended to be exported to the United States on the CBP form 6059B. 

2. Obtaining the flammability standard certification as proof that the wooden furniture meets the requirements in the United States. 

3. Verifying the wooden furniture does not contain any restricted or prohibited wood materials, for instance, illegal logging or some lumber that requires a permit from the USDA. 

4. Meeting the emission standard to guarantee that the furniture products do not contain harmful air pollutants if the products are coated on the surface. 

CBP Requirement	Applicable Regulation
Declaration on CBP Form 6059B	CBP import procedures
Flammability Standards	Product Safety Regulation in the United States
USDA Permit for Wood	Import Restrictions on Unmanufactured Wood Furniture
Emission standards	EPA hazardous air pollutant regulations

What documentation is required for importing wooden furniture under HS 9403604000?

There are several documents required for exporting bent-wooden furniture from Poland to the United States. Here is the list of required documents needed to import furniture products into the United States: 

• A commercial invoice is the description of the products, value, and the country of origin. 
• CBP Declaration Form 6059B is important for declaring the product before the customs process in the United States. 
• Bill of Lading or Airway Bill is proof of shipping from the country of origin to the United States. 
• A Phytosanitary Certificate is required to ensure that the wooden furniture meets the standard wood treatment before being marketed in the United States. 
• A USDA Import Permit is an important document for unmanufactured wood components to guarantee that the logs to make these products are legal. 
• Flammability Standards Certification is the license to prove that these products meet the flammability standards in the United States. This certificate includes the CPSC standard and others. 

Those documents above are compulsory, which means there are consequences or penalties if the exporters or importers do not fully understand the requirements. Here are several common pitfalls when exporting wooden furniture to the United States. 

Pitfall	Impacts
Absence of a phytosanitary certificate	Shipping refusal or required to be quarantined at the border
Misclassification of HS code	Delayed customs clearance, duty miscalculation, or other penalties
Non-compliant with the flammability standard in the United States	Rejection of upholstered bent-wood furniture or other legal action
Undeclared unmanufactured wood components	Confiscation of the products due to USDA permit violations
Incomplete CBP Form 6059B	Fines or shipping halt

Conclusion

HS code vs HTS code is not something you need to debate about. They both have their own roles in international trade. While HS code is accepted globally, HTS code is a country-specific classifying tool. They are similar in nature but slightly different in length. HS code, as the first established one made by WCO, is still used as the main guide of the HTS code. Therefore, the first 6 digits are identical. However, some individual countries asked for an additional 2 to 4 digits for their specific national interests. The US government, for example, requires all trade partners to mention 8–10 digits instead of only 6 to help the customs officers identify the duty rate faster. This will also be beneficial for statistical purposes. Other than HS and HTS code differences, the US government also applies additional regulations, such as ECCN and Schedule B, for specific reasons. ECCN is designed for export control, particularly related to sensitive products that may potentially harm national security. Meanwhile, Schedule B is basically the HTS code for US-origin exporters. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about HTS vs HS code

1. What is the tariff duty rate for exporting wooden furniture to the United States? 

To import wooden furniture to the United States under the HS Code 9403604000 is 0% or without a tariff. This provision is based on the Most Favored Nation (MFN) or non-preferential regime and applies to all countries without an FTA with the United States. 

2. What is the main difference between HTS vs HS codes? 

HTS codes are the extension of the HS code and are only recognized in the United States. In other words, the HTS code or HTSUS is the national standard code for every product to enter the United States. 

3. Is the HTSUS code important for export and import? 

Yes, obviously. The HTSUS codes must be declared for each product intended to enter the United States territory. Thus, you must understand and ensure the accuracy of the HTSUS code before the shipping process. 

4. What ECCN is used for in the export and import process? 

ECCN is a specific requirement from the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) for dual-use or military products before being exported to other countries around the world. ECCN is important to know where the products are destined and ensure the purpose of the exportation. 

5. What is the purpose of Schedule B codes in the United States? 

Schedule B codes function as codes for exporting products from the United States to other countries. This code is mainly for statistical purposes and tracking the exportation of each commodity from the United States to other countries.