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The new version of the Harmonized System (HS) Nomenclature, created to determine Customs tariffs and facilitate the collection of international trade statistics, was enacted on January 1, 2017. It contains 5,386 six-digit subheadings and serves as the language used by over 200 countries to manage international trade.
This update to the HS includes 233 sets of amendments, divided as follows: agricultural sector 85; chemical sector 45; wood sector 13; textile sector 15; base metal sector 6; machinery sector 25; transport sector 18; other sectors 26.
Specific changes of note include:
- Agricultural and food sector: Chapter 03 fish and fish products, more specific product detailing; changes in Chapter 5, 8, 12, 13, 16 and 22.
- Mineral sector: Chapter 27 preparation method, wording changes.
- Chemical sector: Changes in Chapter 28, 29, 30, 31, 37, 38; anti-malarial products, amendment to several categories of pharmaceutical products (specific controlled products and pharmaceutical preparations).
- Plastic sector: Chapter 39, Ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers.
- Wood sector: Chapter 40, 42, 44 forestry products, wood species, bamboo products, rattan products, tropical wood and non-tropical wood amendment.
- Paper sector: Chapter 48 newsprint, wording changes in chapter notes.
- Textile sector: Chapter 54, 55, 57, 60 and 63, fabrics of polyethylene monofilament, bed nets.
- Ceramic products: Chapter 68, 69, chapter notes wording changes.
- Base metal sector: Chapter 82, 83, hand tools, articles of base metal and clothing and textile accessories.
- Machinery sector: Chapter 84 and 85, multi-component integrated circuits and electric accumulators, water-jet cutting machines, machine centers and LED lamps.
- Transport sector: Chapter 87, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles.
- Other goods of chapter 95: New subheading in Chapter 96 for monopods, bipods, tripods and similar articles.
Many of the most recent changes were requested by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Other key changes were introduced to monitor trade of substances controlled under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
For more information, contact Brian Rowe, General Manager – Customs Consulting Services.
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