Three things will shape HTS classification over the next few years: more frequent regulatory change, the HS 2028 amendments that take effect on 1 January 2028, and software (OCR and AI) that takes over the routine parts of the work. None of these removes the need for a classifier who can apply the legal rules; they change where that person spends their time. This article looks at each in turn and at how classification fits into a company’s wider trade compliance program.
What HTS classification is
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) is the US national tariff. Its first six digits follow the Harmonized System (HS), the international nomenclature maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO); the US adds further digits for duty rates and statistics. Other countries build their own national tariffs on the same six-digit base. The code decides the duty rate and many of the regulatory requirements that apply to a product, so classification sits at the base of an importer’s trade compliance.
Correct classification supports customs compliance (paying the right duty and meeting import and export rules) and export compliance, where a wrong code can lead to fines or delayed shipments. It also connects to supply-chain programs run by customs authorities. In the US, CBP’s CTPAT Trade Compliance program, which took over from the Importer Self-Assessment program, lets importers take responsibility for monitoring their own compliance in exchange for benefits, and correct classification is a large part of that compliance.
Why classification keeps getting harder
Trade regulations change often, and each country has its own national tariff and its own measures on top of the HS. New trade agreements can bring new compliance requirements, so businesses have to adjust their processes as each one takes effect. Supply-chain security programs such as CTPAT have added their own expectations.
Keeping up with this needs people who can read the changes, interpret new trade agreements and apply them across several jurisdictions. Continuous training is part of the job: a classifier who stopped learning five years ago is working from out-of-date rules.
HS 2028: the next nomenclature change
The next edition of the Harmonized System enters into force on 1 January 2028. The WCO’s HS 2028 amendments, adopted by the WCO Council in June 2025, contain 299 sets of amendments. National tariffs, including the HTSUS, will be updated to match, and product master data that carries HS-based codes will need to be reviewed. I go through the changes by sector in HS 2028, sector by sector.
Technology in HTS classification
OCR
Optical character recognition (OCR) reads text from scanned invoices, packing lists and product sheets. In classification work it saves time on data entry and reduces copying mistakes, because product descriptions and specifications no longer have to be typed in by hand. OCR extracts the facts; it does not decide the code.
AI and machine learning
AI tools can suggest classifications, flag discrepancies between a product description and the code declared, and help track tariff changes. I have tested this myself: my account of training an AI model on HTS Chapter 82 shows what these tools can and cannot do. My own tool, Tariff Wolf, suggests codes with a legal justification, but the final decision still rests with a classifier.
Classification inside a trade compliance program
Classification works best as part of an integrated trade compliance program, where the same product data feeds customs declarations, export controls and origin decisions. That reduces duplicated work, keeps a company closer to international trade compliance standards, and lets problems be found before customs finds them.
A trade compliance specialist usually builds and maintains such a program and updates it when the rules change. As regulations grow more complex, more businesses also bring in export compliance consultants and trade compliance consulting firms for specific problems. For an example of the kind of analysis involved, see my case study on the tariff classification of a plant basket replacement, or browse the classification case studies on this site.