# Customs Tariff System

*Last updated: 2026-06-22*

> Rather than referring to a single tariff code, the customs tariff system denotes the entire legal and structural framework governing the classification and taxation of goods in international trade.

Rather than referring to a single tariff code, the customs tariff system denotes the entire legal and structural framework governing the classification and taxation of goods in international trade. At its core is the Harmonized System (HS) developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO), a common nomenclature adopted by more than 200 countries that organises goods into approximately 5,000 commodity groups. National or regional schedules — such as the EU's TARIC — build on the HS by adding further digits, duty rates, tariff quotas, and trade preferences. Customs authorities use this framework to calculate import duties and implement trade policy; economic operators rely on it for every customs declaration. It also underpins free trade agreements, since rules of origin and preferential duty rates consistently reference HS nomenclature.

**Source:** [https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/nomenclature/overview/what-is-the-harmonized-system.aspx](https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/nomenclature/overview/what-is-the-harmonized-system.aspx)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Customs Tariff System |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 127 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-22 |
| Source | https://www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/nomenclature/overview/what-is-the-harmonized-system.aspx |

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