Understand the code, see where it belongs on an invoice, then review your document fields with the checklist. Confirm classification with an official tariff source or your broker; this page does not classify products.
Read the scope and checked sources · Sources checked:
An HS code identifies a product's classification in the international Harmonized System. Its international level has six digits; countries can add national digits. On an invoice, the code connects a line item to its classification. For U.S. import entry, check the ten-digit HTSUS number. Schedule B is the U.S. export reporting system, so do not assume its full code is interchangeable with an import code.
ITA: HS codes and national extensionsIn TradePaper's commercial invoice, enter the confirmed code in the HS Code field on the relevant product row, alongside its description, quantity and value. The example below shows a possible layout, not a universal invoice format. Review each product separately; different products can share a classification, but one code should not be copied across all rows without checking.
Open the commercial invoice generatorCheck the destination's customs requirements and the invoice instructions for your shipment with the importer or broker. A code required for customs entry does not, by itself, answer which fields an invoice must contain. For U.S. shipments, review the invoice-content rules in 19 CFR 141.86 and any applicable additional requirements. This checklist does not determine whether your particular invoice needs a code.
U.S. eCFR: invoice contents and languageConfirm the packing-list instructions for the destination, buyer and shipment instead of assuming a universal rule. A packing list mainly describes what is packed, including quantities, packages and weights. If you include classification codes on both documents, check the same item's code against the same destination, code system and applicable tariff version. Carry confirmed corrections through to both documents before sending them.
ITA: commercial invoices and packing listsKeep the code beside the product it describes. These two rows illustrate field placement and arithmetic only. The bracketed text is a placeholder, not a usable classification code.
| Description | HS / destination code | Qty | Unit price (USD) | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sample item A — [material and use] | [confirmed destination code] | 12 | 5.00 | 60.00 |
| Sample item B — [material and use] | [confirmed destination code] | 8 | 7.50 | 60.00 |
A complete invoice needs more than these rows. Enter your actual goods and confirmed codes in the commercial invoice generator, then compare the item descriptions and quantities with the packing list.
Use the checklist below to review the fields. Copy and CSV export the checklist text; Print checklist / save PDF includes the checklist and source notes, not an invoice or this example.
Sources checked:
The date records this source check, not a regulatory effective date or a guarantee that later changes are covered.
Maintained by TradePaper's individual operator. This is a check of public sources, not an independent professional review of your shipment.
Report a source or wording issueA document-field checklist, with an explanation of international HS codes and U.S. import HTSUS numbers. Confirm other countries' national extensions with their customs sources; a supplier's code is not automatically the destination's code.
General HS and U.S. HTS guidance checked on the date shown. Use the tariff version applicable to the actual entry date; this page does not certify a product code or a current duty rate.
The international HS uses six digits; countries can extend it. U.S. imports use HTS, while Schedule B is the U.S. export reporting system.
The U.S. entry number combines an eight-digit tariff provision and a two-digit statistical suffix. National digits beyond the HS six-digit level can differ, including between China and the United States.
USITC maintains the HTS; CBP issues legally binding U.S. import classification rulings. This checklist and informal guidance do not replace a ruling.
Section 141.86 addresses U.S. invoice contents and language. Check invoice requirements separately from entry classification, including any additional rules applicable to the goods. At this check, eCFR displayed Title 19 as current through 2026-11-05; it is a continuously updated but unofficial legal edition.
Invoice form and content can vary by destination. Packing lists describe quantities, packages, weights and marks, and should agree with invoice records. This general guidance does not establish a universal rule about HS codes on packing lists.
No. This page provides a checklist; it does not analyze a product or verify its classification. Consult the relevant official tariff text and the importer or broker. Binding U.S. import classification rulings come from CBP.
Confirm the invoice instructions with your importer or broker. Keep descriptions, origins, quantities and values clear for each item. The ten-digit HTSUS number used for U.S. entry reporting does not by itself establish which fields your invoice must contain.
Move between the invoice, packing list, checklist, HS code, and incoterms pages that are usually reviewed together before a shipment leaves.