CLASSIFICATION INPUT / 01
Give the reviewer a clear product record.
The World Customs Organization describes the Harmonized System as an international product nomenclature with uniform classification rules. Customs administrations apply their own laws, tariff schedules and national subdivisions. Start by identifying the goods accurately, then retain the import-market decision with the party responsible for it.
PRODUCT DATA / 02
Ask for six dated fields before the decision
Keep one record for this product version and order. Mark facts that are missing or conflict. Note if a source describes other goods or cannot be shared.
| Product-data field | Request from the supplier | Keep in the buyer record |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Exact model, order or sample version, intended import market and the question to be answered | Decision owner, date, market and the product or order version in scope |
| Name and use | Plain product name, principal use, user and operating principle or function | Supplier wording, source document, date and any unanswered-use question |
| Materials and components | Principal materials, composition or percentages when known, and the role of key components | Source version, missing composition data and any conflict between documents |
| Construction and condition | Structure, dimensions, assembly state, manufacturing detail, packaging state, drawings and product images | What the evidence shows at the relevant time, without inferring from a catalogue |
| Product relationship | Whether the goods are a complete item, part, accessory, set, sample or packaging material | The relationship claimed, supporting record and any question that remains open |
| Version and change | Document title, revision, date, owner and material, function, structure, use or packaging changes | Controlled source list, permitted sharing scope and the event that requires the question to be revisited |
Ask the supplier for facts about the goods. Your importer, broker or adviser should check those facts against the rules for your market. Customs may make its own decision.
Identify the product version
Start with the agreed specification, model, sample and order. Record any conflict between drawings, quotations, bills of materials or images. Resolve the product version before requesting a classification.
Create a controlled product specification before comparing supplier data →
Describe the goods as shipped
State whether the goods are assembled, complete, individual or part of a set. Describe the packaging. Attach the exact source images and documents with their dates and versions.
Keep product facts tied to the current purchase-order baseline →
Name the decision owner
Record the destination market, importer or declarant, transaction and responsible specialist. Keep classification, tariff, licence, origin and market-access decisions beside their applicable evidence; do not infer them from the product-data pack.
Keep delivery terms and shipment documents in their own controlled record →
What company records can tell you
Company records help identify the supplier. Product classification also needs facts about the goods and the applicable tariff rules. In licensed platform queries on 21 August 2026, these returned company fields did not provide the product description needed for this checklist.
| Record returned | Companies | Limit for this task |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise type | 45 of 45 | Legal form only; no product composition |
| Import/export credit record | 41 of 45 | Company record, not a shipment classification |
| Qualification certificates | 36 of 45 | Check each scope; no classification inferred |
Use both product evidence and applicable official sources. Published classification decisions and advance rulings can be relevant. Check their product facts, jurisdiction, date and scope with the responsible specialist before applying them.
A missing platform field is not proof that no relevant public record exists. These counts describe the 45-company study cohort and returned data; they do not assess every certificate or tariff source.
DECISION RECORD / 03
Keep the result and its limits
| Record | Useful for | Does not determine |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier product-data pack | Dated facts about the named goods and their sources | An HS code, local tariff rate or regulatory status |
| Drawing, image or sample record | The stated design or observed condition for one identified version | Future lots or parts that were not checked |
| Past declaration or marketplace listing | A question to compare with the current product record | That the present goods should be classified or admitted the same way |
| Classification or customs decision | A result within its issuing authority, scope, date and stated facts | An answer for all markets, versions or orders |
METHOD / 04
How this checklist was prepared
The sources below explain HS rules and China’s process. They cover published classification decisions and advance rulings. Our six-field request helps you gather the facts; it does not replace a customs decision.
This page does not determine an HS code, tariff, licence, origin or destination-market admissibility. It is not customs, tax, legal, export-control, product-compliance or contractual advice. We did not inspect any supplier, product, sample, order, customs entry or import-market rule for a reader.
PRIMARY SOURCES / 05
Official sources used for this guide
Open the live, applicable source before a material decision. Rules, tariff schedules, classifications and market requirements can change.
- PRC Customs: Measures for the Administration of Import and Export Goods Classification (2024 revision)Explains how China’s tariff rules and notes apply to the goods. It also provides for published decisions and advance rulings.
- World Customs Organization: What is the Harmonized System (HS)?Explains the HS system, its six-digit groups and the rules used to classify goods.