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The tariff code decides almost everything about your import: how much duty you pay, the VAT, and which measures apply at the border. Getting it wrong is the silent cause of most held shipments and after-the-fact reassessments. Here is how goods are classified properly — and how not to overpay, or underpay and carry the risk.
What TARIC is (and where it comes from)
TARIC is the EU’s Integrated Tariff. Its 10-digit code is built in layers: the first 6 are the Harmonized System (HS) of the World Customs Organization, shared by most of the world; digits 7-8 are added by the EU’s Combined Nomenclature (CN), making the 8-digit code; and digits 9-10 are the EU-specific TARIC measures. Classification is governed by the Union Customs Code (Regulation (EU) 952/2013) and its General Rules of Interpretation.
What your code decides
- The customs duty you pay on import (and whether preferential origin applies).
- Import VAT and other applicable charges.
- The measures: quotas, tariff suspensions, anti-dumping duties, prohibitions, licences and controls (health, CITES, safety).
A wrong code is not a detail: it changes what you pay and can trigger — or hide — a control that holds the goods.
The classification errors that cost the most
- Inheriting the supplier’s code: the Chinese (or manufacturer’s) code need not match the correct EU TARIC.
- Classifying by trade name: what matters is the material, function and use of the product, not what the catalogue calls it.
- Ignoring section and chapter notes: they are what decide between two headings that both “look” right.
- Missing a suspension or quota: you pay the full duty when a live tariff suspension would have saved it.
- Claiming preferential origin without proof: a reduced duty applied with no certificate or proof of origin — and it surfaces at inspection.
How goods are classified properly
We classify each product by what it is: composition, function and real use. We apply the General Rules of Interpretation and the section and chapter notes, verify the duty rate and check for quotas, suspensions or anti-dumping that affect you — for or against. The goal is not to “pay little”: it is to pay the correct amount, with support, so there are no surprises in the assessment or requirements afterwards.
The tool that gives certainty: BTI
When classification is doubtful or the volume justifies it, there is Binding Tariff Information (BTI): a customs decision that fixes your product’s code and is binding across the EU for 3 years. It is how you lock in classification before importing in series and avoid arguing it at every clearance. We help you prepare and apply for a BTI when it pays off.
How we solve it
Classification is one piece of the customs documentation service: we classify your references, calculate duty and VAT, and build the file ready for your freight forwarder. And since many holds are not customs but product issues, it fits with the product conformity review. Operated and signed: if there is a query, we answer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I trust the code my supplier gives me? As a reference, yes; as the basis for your EU clearance, no. Correct classification before customs is your responsibility as importer.
What if I classify wrong? You may overpay (money lost) or underpay (a complementary assessment, penalty and interest if detected). Either way, you risk a hold.
Is BTI mandatory? No, it is optional. It pays off when classification is doubtful or you import the same product regularly: binding certainty for 3 years.
Do you classify products I have not imported yet? Yes. With the technical sheet and composition we classify before the container ships, and flag suspensions or quotas that save you duty.
Tell us your product
Send us what you import and from where, and we classify your references, calculate the duty and tell you which measures apply.
First import? Start with the Express Advisory: we tell you what documentation and which code you will need before you ship. Reach us through our contact page.