HS codes explained for Bangladeshi importers (with real examples)
What an HS code is, how the 8 digits break down, why the code — not the product name — decides your duty, and how one digit can swing the rate. With real lines from the NBR FY2024-25 tariff.
An HS code is the 8-digit number customs uses to classify your product, and it — not the product's name — determines the duty. The first 2 digits are the chapter (61 = knitted clothing), the first 4 the heading (6109 = t-shirts), and all 8 the exact tariff line (61091000 = cotton t-shirts, 100% TTI). Getting it right matters twice: the rate depends on it, and a mismatch between the code and the goods is the most common reason shipments get held.
How the 8 digits break down
Take 61091000 — knitted cotton t-shirts:
| Digits | Level | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | Chapter | Knitted or crocheted clothing |
| 6109 | Heading | T-shirts, singlets and vests |
| 61091000 | Tariff line | …of cotton — CD 25, SD 30, VAT 15, AIT 5, AT 5 → TTI 100% |
The first 6 digits are internationally harmonised (the "HS" is the World Customs Organization's Harmonized System); the last digits are national. Bangladesh's FY2024-25 tariff has 7,542 lines — every one searchable here.
Why one digit can swing the duty
Sibling lines under one heading can carry very different burdens. Real examples from the tariff:
- Track-suits vs t-shirts (same chapter): synthetic track-suits 37% TTI, cotton t-shirts 100%.
- Modem vs smartphone (same chapter 85): networking equipment 15.5%, phones 58.6%.
- Raw polymer vs finished plastic houseware (chapter 39): ~10% vs 127.72%.
Classification is not pedantry — it is the price.
Who picks the code, and what goes wrong
The supplier writes something on the invoice; customs checks it against the goods. Suppliers optimise for their own paperwork, not your duty accuracy, and a lazy "plastic articles" description on a box of earbuds triggers a query, a re-classification and a 5–10 day hold.
Practical rules:
- Look up the code yourself before ordering — two minutes in the duty lookup tells you the rate and gives you the code to check the supplier's invoice against.
- Match the description to the line. If your goods are "wireless earbuds", the invoice should say so — not "electronic accessories".
- When two lines both seem to fit, expect customs to pick the higher one unless the documentation clearly supports the lower.
The part CIEF automates
Our lane classifier reads the 1688 listing and picks the shipping lane; the customs side of a CIEF order is handled by the team clearing shipments daily, under a DDP price. The lookup is there so you can sanity-check the market — what a product's official burden looks like — before you build a business on it.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an HS code?
- The 8-digit classification number customs uses to identify a product. The first 6 digits are internationally harmonised; the full 8 select the exact national tariff line and therefore the duty rate.
- How do I find the HS code for my product?
- Search the product name in plain English in our duty lookup — it matches against all 7,542 official FY2024-25 tariff lines and shows the code with the full rate breakdown.
- Why does the HS code matter so much?
- Because the rate belongs to the code, not the product name. Sibling lines differ hugely — synthetic track-suits carry 37% TTI while cotton t-shirts carry 100% — and a code/goods mismatch is the top cause of customs holds.
- Who is responsible for the code on a shipment?
- The declaration carries it, based on the supplier's invoice. Suppliers often write vague descriptions, so checking the invoice against the correct line before shipping is the cheap insurance.