How to Find a TARIC Code for Your Product: 7 Steps

To find a TARIC code for a product, you work from a full description of the goods down the EU tariff, from chapter to heading to the 10-digit line, and then check which measures apply for your origin and date. The work is methodical rather than clever. This guide gives the seven steps we use, the free official tools for each one, and a worked example.

It is written for importers, e-commerce sellers and customs brokers bringing goods into the European Union. The tools and rules were checked against the European Commission's sites and the CN 2026 in October 2026.

Before you start: what a TARIC code is

A TARIC code has 10 digits: six from the international Harmonized System, two from the EU Combined Nomenclature (CN) and two for EU measures. If those layers are new to you, read what the EU TARIC code is first. The steps below assume you know the structure.

Step 1: Describe the product the way customs reads it

Most wrong codes start with a thin description. "Phone case" or "summer dress" is not enough. Write down:

• What it is and what it does: its function and how it is used.
• What it is made of: each material, with percentages by weight where the tariff cares about them, for example textiles.
• How it is made: knitted or woven, moulded or stitched, assembled or not.
• Who uses it: men, women, children, industrial users.
• Its condition and presentation: finished or unfinished, a set for retail sale, parts or a complete article.

If you do not know a fact, ask the supplier for a specification sheet before you classify. A guess at this stage carries through every later step.

Step 2: Find the chapter and the heading

Start from the top of the tariff. The CN has chapters grouped into sections, each with legal notes. Rule 1 of the general rules for interpretation says that titles are "for ease of reference only"; what decides is the wording of the headings and the section and chapter notes.

Practical method:

1. Use the text search in the TARIC consultation to find the chapters where similar goods appear.
2. Read the notes of each candidate chapter. Exclusion notes often send a product elsewhere. For example, note 1 to Chapter 64 excludes toy footwear, which goes to Chapter 95.
3. Pick the 4-digit heading whose wording covers the product. If two headings fit, apply the General Rules of Interpretation in order.

Step 3: Narrow to the 6-digit HS subheading

Within the heading, compare the one-dash subheadings first, then the two-dash ones. Only compare subheadings at the same level, as Rule 6 of the general rules requires. This step decides the six digits that the EU shares with most of the world, so it is worth cross-checking against the WCO's HS explanatory notes or a published ruling.

Step 4: Choose the 8-digit CN subheading

Open the current annual CN regulation. For 2026 this is Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1926. Read the CN subdivisions under your HS subheading, together with any CN additional notes for the chapter. If the HS subheading is not split for EU purposes, the CN code ends in 00.

At this point, also read the Combined Nomenclature explanatory notes for the heading. DG TAXUD describes them as non-binding, but they often explain where a borderline product belongs. The annual text has two parts: preliminary provisions with the general rules, then the schedule of duties chapter by chapter.

Step 5: Pick the 10-digit TARIC line

In the TARIC consultation, open the CN code and look for TARIC subdivisions in the 9th and 10th digits. Many CN codes have none and become xxxx xx xx 00. Where subdivisions exist, they usually separate goods that a specific measure targets. Read their wording carefully: a line may apply only to goods "for use in civil aircraft" or to a product with defined technical parameters.

Step 6: Check the measures for your origin and date

A code without its measures is only half the answer. In the TARIC consultation, enter the country of origin and the expected date of import, then display the measures. Look for:

• the third-country duty and any tariff preference for your origin;
• suspensions and tariff quotas;
• anti-dumping or countervailing duties, which may require an additional code;
• import controls, licences or certificates, shown as conditions with document codes.

Remember that TARIC does not show national VAT or excise. The European Commission's Access2Markets portal is another free tool that shows duties, rules of origin and requirements for a code and an origin. How these measures combine is covered in EU import duty and TARIC measures.

Step 7: Cross-check with BTI decisions and record your reasoning

Before you settle, search the public EBTI database for Binding Tariff Information decisions on similar goods. The Commission states that all valid and invalid BTI decisions are available there. A BTI issued to another company does not bind you, but it shows how an EU customs authority reasoned about a comparable product.

Then write down your conclusion: the code, the date and tariff version, the notes and decisions you relied on, and the facts about the product that decided it. If doubt remains on a product you import regularly, consider a Binding Tariff Information application.

Worked example: wired earphones with a microphone

Suppose you import wired in-ear earphones with an inline microphone, for use with phones.

1. Describe: electro-acoustic earphones, worn in the ear, with a microphone on the cable and a 3.5 mm plug. No wireless function, no storage.
2. Chapter and heading: Chapter 85 covers electrical machinery and equipment. Heading 8518 covers microphones, loudspeakers, and headphones and earphones, whether or not combined with a microphone.
3. HS subheading: 8518 30: headphones and earphones, whether or not combined with a microphone, and sets consisting of a microphone and one or more loudspeakers.
4. CN subheading: 8518 30 00. The CN 2026 shows the conventional duty for this line as free.
5. TARIC line: the TARIC data splits 8518 30 00 into 8518 30 00 10, for use in civil aircraft, and 8518 30 00 90, other. Earphones for phones fall under 8518 30 00 90.
6. Measures: when we checked the TARIC data in October 2026, the third-country duty shown for this subheading was 0%. Check your own origin and date for any other measure before declaring.
7. Record: note the heading text, the CN version and the date of the check.

Wireless headsets with call functions raise a different question, between heading 8518 and heading 8517. Our guide to chargers, cables and headphones covers that case.

Mistakes to avoid

• Classifying by price or marketing name. "Premium", "eco" or "smart" does not move a product between headings; function and material do.
• Stopping at six digits. EU declarations need the full 10 digits and, where required, an additional code.
• Forgetting the date. Use the TARIC view for the date of import. Codes and measures change.
• Reusing a code across a product range. Variants that differ in material or function may need different codes.

Using HTS Pilot to speed up the search

HTS Pilot follows a similar path: it reads a description, scores chapters and headings, narrows the candidates with legal rules and notes, and proposes a 10-digit EU code with up to 10 alternatives. Each EU candidate is quoted from the official TARIC extraction with a link to its TARIC consultation page. When a deciding fact is missing, it asks a question instead of guessing. Results are suggestions for reference, not official classification decisions; see how a lookup works.

Key takeaways

• Start with a complete description: function, materials and percentages, construction, user and presentation.
• Work top-down: chapter and notes, heading, HS subheading, CN subheading, then the TARIC line.
• Check measures for your origin and import date in the TARIC consultation; VAT and excise are not there.
• Search EBTI for similar decisions and record the reasoning behind your choice.
• When doubt remains on a regular import, apply for a Binding Tariff Information decision.

Frequently asked questions

Can I find a TARIC code by searching a product name?

The TARIC consultation lets you search the goods nomenclature by text, but a keyword match is only a starting point. Tariff descriptions use legal wording, not shop names, and the right code depends on material, function and the legal notes. Use the search to find candidate chapters, then work down the tree and read the notes before deciding.

Do I need the 8-digit or the 10-digit code?

For an import declaration in the EU you need the 10-digit TARIC code, plus any additional code that a measure requires. The 8-digit CN code is usually enough for exports and for Intrastat statistics. If no TARIC subdivision exists for your CN code, the 10-digit code is the CN code followed by 00.

Is the TARIC code my supplier gave me reliable?

Treat it as a lead, not an answer. Suppliers often send a code from their own market or an outdated version, and the importer is the one who declares it. Check the code against the current CN and TARIC, confirm that the description matches the goods, and keep a record of how you checked.

What if two TARIC codes seem to fit?

Apply the General Rules of Interpretation in order: the terms of the headings and the notes first, then the rules for most specific description, essential character and last heading. Search the EBTI database for decisions on similar goods. If doubt remains and the volume matters, apply for a Binding Tariff Information decision, which gives legal certainty for three years.

Sources

The official texts and pages this article relies on. Check them for the current version before you act.

1. European Commission: TARIC consultation ec.europa.eu
2. European Commission: European Binding Tariff Information (EBTI) taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu
3. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1926, Combined Nomenclature 2026 (EUR-Lex) eur-lex.europa.eu
4. European Commission, DG TAXUD: The Combined Nomenclature taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu
5. European Commission: Access2Markets trade.ec.europa.eu
6. European Commission: Binding Tariff Information quick info (UCC) taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu

This article is general information, not legal advice and not a classification decision. Tariff texts, rates and rulings change: check the current official sources, and ask the customs authority for a binding ruling where the answer matters.