code are used by Customs authorities, statistical agencies, and other government regulatory bodies, to monitor and control the import and export of commodities through: Customs tariffs Collection of trade data (international trade statistics) Rules of origin Collection of internal taxes Trade negotiations (e.g., the World Trade Organization schedules of tariff concessions) Transport tariffs and statistics Monitoring of controlled goods (e.g., wastes, narcotics, chemical weapons, ozone layer depleting substances, endangered species, wildlife trade) Areas of Customs controls and procedures, including risk assessment, information technology and compliance. Companies use HS codes to calculate the total landed cost of imported products and parts, and to identify selling and sourcing opportunities abroad. Challenges in classification for companies HS classification is not always straightforward. Many automotive parts, for example, are not classified under heading 87.08, which provides for Parts and accessories of the motor vehicles of headings 87.01 to 87.05. Automotive seats are classified as articles of furniture under heading 94.01, which provides for Seats (other than those of heading 94.02), whether or not convertible into beds, and parts thereof, and more specifically under subheading 9401.20, which provides for Seats of a kind used for motor vehicles. In many jurisdictions, traders alone bear the legal responsibility to accurately classify their goods. However, due to a lack of familiarity with the rules of HS Classification traders may inadvertently determine erroneous HS codes for their commodities. Depending on the severity of the infraction, incorrect classification can result in the imposition of non-compliance penalties, border delays or seizures, or denial of import privileges. See also Automated Export System Broad Economic Categories Combined Nomenclature Customs tariff Harmonized Tariff Schedule for the United States Standard International Trade Classification TARIC Coding System UNSPSC World Customs Organization References External links World Bank's list of HS Codes products World Bank, Concordances from HS to other nomenclatures EU Combined Nomenclature Search Engine by European Commission - Eurostat United Nations Harmonised System Tariffs by region Customs Tariff of Canada (Canada Border Services Agency) Integrated Tariff of the European Union - TARIC Central Excise Tariff of India by Department of Customs, Ministry of Revenue East Africa Community Common External Tariff by Customs and Trade, East Africa Community, Governments of Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania Japan Tariff Association – webpage refers to Japan Harmonised System Code Search Mexico import-export codes (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) by SIICEX and CAAAREM UK Tariff Codes Datasets by