TARIC Code Explained: The EU's 10-Digit Import Code

A TARIC code is the 10-digit commodity code used to declare goods imported into the European Union. It tells customs which duty rate, preference, trade defence measure or import control applies to a product. If you sell into the EU, the TARIC code on your import declaration decides much of what you pay and what you must show at the border.

This guide is for importers, customs brokers and e-commerce sellers who need to read and check EU codes. It explains what TARIC is, how the 10 digits are built, what the extra digits are for, and where people go wrong. Facts were checked against the European Commission's TARIC pages and the CN 2026 regulation in October 2026.

What is a TARIC code?

TARIC stands for the integrated Tariff of the European Union. The European Commission's Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) describes it as a multilingual database that integrates all measures relating to the Common Customs Tariff and to commercial and agricultural legislation. Its purpose is that the same measure is applied in the same way in every EU country.

The legal basis is Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87. Article 2 of that regulation tells the Commission to establish an integrated tariff "based on the combined nomenclature", with additional subdivisions where specific EU measures need them, together with the rates of duty and other charges.

So a TARIC code is not a separate classification system. It is the EU's 8-digit Combined Nomenclature (CN) with two more digits added where a measure needs them.

How a TARIC code is structured

Each level of the code has a different owner and a different job.

EU publications write codes with spaces, as in 6109 10 00 10. Declarations and software usually store the ten digits without spaces.

The first six digits: the Harmonized System

The first six digits come from the Harmonized System (HS), maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO). The WCO states that the HS covers more than 5,000 commodity groups, each identified by a six-digit code, and is used by more than 200 countries and economies as the basis for their customs tariffs. For a deeper look at this layer, see what an HS code is.

Digits seven and eight: the Combined Nomenclature

The CN adds two digits for EU tariff and statistical purposes. Article 3 of Regulation 2658/87 says that when an HS subheading is not further subdivided for EU purposes, the seventh and eighth digits are 00. The CN is reproduced in Annex I to the regulation, and the Commission republishes it in full every year. The version in force for 2026 is Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1926, published on 31 October 2025. Our guide to the Combined Nomenclature covers this layer in detail.

Digits nine and ten: the TARIC subdivision

The last two digits exist only where an EU measure needs a finer split than the CN offers. Where there is no TARIC subdivision, they are 00. In some cases, the Commission also uses a four-character TARIC additional code, for example to name a specific exporting company under an anti-dumping measure. The additional code is declared next to the 10-digit code, not inside it.

What a TARIC code carries

The code is the key that opens the measures attached to a product. According to DG TAXUD, TARIC contains:

• tariff measures such as third-country duties, tariff preferences, suspensions and tariff quotas;
• agricultural measures, such as agricultural components and additional duties;
• trade defence measures: anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties;
• prohibitions and restrictions on certain goods;
• the goods nomenclature, additional codes and supplementary units;
• geographical areas, so that a measure can depend on the country of origin.

What TARIC does not contain is just as important: DG TAXUD states that it does not cover national levies such as VAT and excise rates. Those are set by each member state.

Many measures in TARIC also depend on origin. The same code can show a third-country duty for one origin, a 0% preference for another and an anti-dumping duty for a third. That is why the TARIC consultation asks for an origin and a date when it lists measures. We explain how these combine in EU import duty and TARIC measures.

A worked example: the knitted cotton T-shirt

Take a men's knitted T-shirt of 100% cotton. In the CN 2026, the path is:

1. Chapter 61: articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted.
2. Heading 6109: T-shirts, singlets and other vests, knitted or crocheted.
3. Subheading 6109 10 00: of cotton. The CN 2026 shows a conventional duty of 12% and a supplementary unit of pieces.
4. TARIC code 6109 10 00 10: T-shirts. Its sibling 6109 10 00 90 covers other garments of the same subheading.

When we checked the TARIC data in October 2026, the third-country duty for heading 6109 was 12%, with lower preferential rates listed for several origins. Rates and measures change, so always confirm the current position in the TARIC consultation for your origin and import date before you rely on a figure.

Note how the EU split differs from the US one. The US schedule splits the same garment by gender and style at its 10th digit, while the EU does not. We compare both schedules in HTS vs TARIC.

TARIC code vs CN code vs HS code

People often use these names as if they were the same. They are related, but each one answers a different question.

• HS code (6 digits): the shared international language. It is the same in the EU, the US and most other markets for a given product.
• CN code (8 digits): the EU tariff nomenclature. It carries the conventional duty rate and is used for EU trade statistics, including Intrastat.
• TARIC code (10 digits): the CN code plus the measures that apply on import into the EU, at the level customs needs for the declaration.

If you export from the EU, the CN code is often enough. For imports, use the full 10-digit code and check whether an additional code applies.

How the TARIC code is kept up to date

The CN changes once a year. Article 12 of Regulation 2658/87 requires the Commission to publish a complete version of the CN by 31 October, applying from 1 January of the following year. TARIC, by contrast, changes continuously. DG TAXUD says TARIC data is transmitted daily to national administrations, because measures such as anti-dumping duties, quotas and suspensions start and end throughout the year.

The Harmonized System itself is revised every few years. The WCO has confirmed that the HS 2028 edition will enter into force on 1 January 2028, which will change some six-digit subheadings and every national code built on them.

Common mistakes with TARIC codes

• Declaring the CN code with 00 added by habit. The 9th and 10th digits are not filler. If a TARIC subdivision exists, you must pick the right one.
• Ignoring additional codes. Anti-dumping measures often require a company-specific additional code. Without it, the residual rate for "all other companies" may apply.
• Checking the code but not the date. A code valid last year may have been split or deleted. Always check the code against the date of import.
• Treating TARIC as the full cost. TARIC shows customs measures, not VAT or excise.
• Copying a supplier's code without checking. Codes are often reused across markets. A US HTS number is not a valid EU code, even when the first six digits match.

How to get legal certainty on a TARIC code

When the classification is uncertain and the stakes are high, you can apply for a Binding Tariff Information (BTI) decision. The Commission's BTI guidance notes that BTI decisions may be issued using TARIC codes where such measures apply, and that a decision is binding on the holder and on all member states for three years. See our guide to Binding Tariff Information.

Where HTS Pilot fits

HTS Pilot reads a product description and proposes a 10-digit EU code, shown EU-style as in 6109 10 00 10, along with alternatives, the reasons each code was chosen or ruled out, the official sources it cites and a confidence score. For the EU market, each candidate is quoted from the official TARIC extraction with a link to the TARIC consultation page of the code. Its results are suggestions for reference, not official classification decisions, and ambiguous cases go to a review queue. See how a lookup works.

Key takeaways

• A TARIC code has 10 digits: 6 from the HS, 2 from the EU Combined Nomenclature and 2 for TARIC measures.
• The CN changes once a year; TARIC measures change continuously and are updated daily.
• TARIC carries duties, preferences, trade defence measures and import controls, but not VAT or excise.
• Measures often depend on origin and date, so check both when you look up a code.
• Additional codes, such as company codes for anti-dumping, are declared next to the 10-digit code.
• For legal certainty on a difficult product, apply for a BTI decision.

Frequently asked questions

How many digits does a TARIC code have?

A TARIC code has 10 digits. The first six are the international Harmonized System subheading, digits seven and eight are the EU Combined Nomenclature subdivision, and digits nine and ten are the TARIC subdivision. Where no TARIC subdivision exists, the last two digits are 00. Some measures also need a separate four-character TARIC additional code, which is declared alongside the 10-digit code.

What is the difference between a CN code and a TARIC code?

The CN code is the 8-digit EU nomenclature set out in Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 and republished every year. It carries the conventional third-country duty. The TARIC code adds two digits for EU measures that need a finer split, such as anti-dumping duties, quotas, suspensions or import controls. Every TARIC code starts with a valid CN code.

Is a TARIC code the same as an HS code?

No. The HS code is the 6-digit international code managed by the World Customs Organization and used by more than 200 countries and economies. The TARIC code keeps those six digits and adds four EU digits. The EU and the US usually share the same HS subheading for a product, but their national digits, duty rates and measures differ.

Where can I look up a TARIC code for free?

The European Commission publishes the TARIC consultation tool on its website, free of charge. You can browse the nomenclature, search by code or text, and display the measures for a given origin and date. The data is updated daily for national customs administrations. Note that TARIC does not show national VAT or excise rates.

Sources

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

1. European Commission, DG TAXUD: TARIC, the integrated tariff of the EU taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu
2. European Commission: TARIC consultation ec.europa.eu
3. Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff (EUR-Lex) eur-lex.europa.eu
4. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1926, Combined Nomenclature applicable from 1 January 2026 (EUR-Lex) eur-lex.europa.eu
5. European Commission: Binding Tariff Information quick info (UCC) taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu
6. World Customs Organization: What is the Harmonized System? wcoomd.org

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.