Ask your supplier: the 5 facts that decide your tariff code

Most wrong tariff codes aren’t wrong because someone misread the tariff. They’re wrong because one fact was missing, and someone guessed it.

Customs brokers say the same thing: finding the code is quick, but getting the right facts from the business and the supplier can take weeks.

Here are the five facts that decide most codes. Ask your supplier for them before the goods ship.

• What is it made of, by weight?

“Cotton blend” isn’t an answer. Ask for percentages. A dress with 36% linen can pay less than half the duty of the same dress in polyester.

• Is the fabric knitted or woven?

Knitted clothing and woven clothing sit in different chapters (61 and 62), with different rates. The supplier always knows; the product name often doesn’t say.

• Who is it for?

Men, women, or babies. The tariff splits on this. If the documents don’t say, the rules default to women’s.

• Where was it really made, and where was the metal melted?

Country of origin changes Section 301 duties. For steel and aluminium goods, Section 232 also asks where the metal was melted and poured.

• Is it a set, or a part?

A part of a machine, a whole machine, or a set of different items each classify differently. Ask what exactly is in the box.

The habit that helps: write down each answer, who gave it, and the date. If customs asks later, you’ll have it.