HTS Classification for Codes That Hold Up
The 10-digit code you put on an entry decides your duty rate, your admissibility, and whether CBP comes back years later for back-duties. We classify your products correctly the first time, at the Otay Mesa and San Diego crossings, so the number holds up under audit.
What HTS Classification Actually Decides
Every product entering the United States has to be matched to a code in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. That 10-digit number is not paperwork, it is the instruction that tells CBP how much duty you owe, whether Section 301 China tariffs or antidumping duties apply, and which agencies get to weigh in on your shipment. The importer of record is legally responsible for getting it right, even when a supplier or freight forwarder hands you a code to use.
Get it wrong and the exposure runs both directions. Classify too low and CBP can assess back-duties plus interest going back five years, along with penalties under 19 USC 1592 if they see negligence. Classify too high and you quietly overpay duty on every entry, money you rarely get back. A defensible classification, backed by the General Rules of Interpretation and the reasonable care standard, is what protects your margin and your record.
What’s included
- ✓ Full 10-digit HTSUS classification grounded in the General Rules of Interpretation, section and chapter notes, not a guess off a product name
- ✓ Duty rate and landed-cost analysis so you know the real number before the cargo moves
- ✓ Section 301, antidumping, and countervailing duty screening on China and other flagged origins
- ✓ Country of origin and substantial transformation review, which matters for IMMEX and Mexico-sourced goods
- ✓ Review of supplier-provided or historical codes to catch misclassification before CBP does
- ✓ Binding ruling requests filed with CBP when a classification is high-value, high-volume, or genuinely gray
- ✓ Classification database for your recurring SKUs so every future entry stays consistent
- ✓ Support for PGA-flagged goods where the code triggers FDA, USDA, or other agency review
How we handle it
Product review
We look at what the item actually is: composition, function, how it is packaged, and how it is used. Spec sheets, photos, and bills of material tell us more than a description line ever will.
Classification and duty analysis
We work the code through the General Rules of Interpretation and the chapter notes, then pull the duty rate and screen for 301, antidumping, and PGA flags so there are no surprises at entry.
Ruling when it counts
If the classification is gray, high-volume, or high-dollar, we file a binding ruling request with CBP so you have written certainty instead of an opinion that can be challenged.
Consistent filing going forward
We lock your SKUs into a classification record and apply the same codes on every ACE entry, so your history stays clean and audit-ready across both crossings.