The Digital Wealth Makers foreign trade guide
What is an HS Code and How to Find Your Tariff Code?
The HS code is a six-digit international identifier for every product; customs duties, restrictions and trade statistics all depend on it. One wrong digit can change your costs by thousands of dollars.
- 6 international digits
- 5200+ base codes
- Revised every 5 years
- Duty basis
Goods
090932HS Code
09093210
Duty
Think of the HS code as a product's national ID: every product in the world has one. State it correctly and both customs offices know exactly what you're shipping — and calculate duties, taxes and restrictions from it.
The Harmonized System is managed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and used by 200+ countries. Iran adds two digits to form its own 8-digit code.
Each pair of digits narrows the classification from a broad chapter to the exact product.
XXChapter
XXXXHeading
XXXXXXSubheading
XXXXXXXXNational code (8 digits)
The Digital Wealth Makers foreign trade guide
The six-digit structure
Each pair of digits narrows the classification from a broad chapter to the exact product.
XX
Chapter
The first two digits define the broad sector; e.g. 09 for coffee, tea and spices.
XXXX
Heading
Four digits identify a tighter product group; e.g. 0909 for ginger, saffron and turmeric.
XXXXXX
Subheading
Six digits are the full international standard; e.g. 090932 for saffron (kala or sargol).
XXXXXXXX
National code (8 digits)
The last two digits are defined by each country for finer detail; Iran uses this 8-digit code in its customs systems.
The Digital Wealth Makers foreign trade guide
Live example: saffron
Iran's 8-digit code for saffron
09090909093209093210
- 09Chapter: coffee, tea, spices
- 0909Heading: ginger, saffron, turmeric
- 090932Subheading: saffron (crushed or not)
- 09093210Iran national: sargol saffron
This is exactly what you write on the customs declaration; it determines your duties, your costs and the trade statistics.
The Digital Wealth Makers foreign trade guide
Find your code in four steps
Official, free methods — use government systems, not guesswork.
01Search official systems
In Iran, the Customs and national trade systems support Persian keyword search. Internationally, use the WCO Trade Tools site.
02Start with the exact product term
Search 'saffron', not 'spice'. The more precise the term, the faster the result.
03Browse the tariff schedule
Start at chapter level and narrow down step by step. Download Iran's tariff schedule from the customs website.
04Confirm with customs or an expert
For complex goods, get a formal inquiry from customs or a clearance expert; a wrong code means fines and cargo holds.
Key numbers
- standard international digits
- 0
- base codes in the HS
- 0+
- countries using the system
- 0+
- years between revisions
- 0
standard international digits
base codes in the HS
countries using the system
years between revisions
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between the HS code and Iran's tariff code?
The HS code is the six-digit international standard. Iran appends two digits to form its own 8-digit tariff code used at customs.
What happens if I declare the wrong code?
Customs corrects the code and usually collects the duty difference plus a fine. In serious cases (deliberate misdeclaration to lower duties) it becomes a criminal case.
Can one product have several HS codes?
Yes; for composite goods (e.g. chocolate with almonds) the code depends on the dominant component. Always ask an expert for mixed products.
Do services have HS codes?
No; the HS covers goods only. Services use other classifications such as EBOPS or CPC.
How often is the HS revised?
A new edition comes every five years (latest: HS 2022). Your product's code can change between editions — check before every shipment.
Have the goods but unsure of the code?
Our clearance experts on the marketplace will review your tariff code for free so you are certain before registering the order.