TARIC: What It Is and How to Check a Code

TARIC is the integrated tariff of the European Union: a multilingual database in which the European Commission collects all measures relating to the Common Customs Tariff, including customs duty rates, anti-dumping measures, quotas and prohibitions. A TARIC code is the commodity number in that database: it is based on the CN code (8 digits) and, with the TARIC subdivision added, has 10 digits. With it you can check, for a specific product and country of origin, which measures apply on import into the EU.

Once you have the code and its duty rate, the guide to calculating customs duties shows how they are applied.

In brief

• TARIC is the EU database of tariff and non-tariff measures maintained by the European Commission.
• The code consists of the HS code (6 digits), the CN subdivision (8 digits) and the TARIC subdivision (10 digits); in exceptional cases, 4-character additional codes are added.
• You can check a code in the European Commission's TARIC database or in the Polish tariff browser ISZTAR4 (PUESC, podatki.gov.pl).
• TARIC applies in the EU. When importing into the United Kingdom, you check the UK Trade Tariff, not TARIC.
• A binding tariff information decision (BTI) gives you certainty about classification.

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What is TARIC

TARIC (from the French Tarif Intégré de la Communauté) is a database which, according to the European Commission, integrates all measures relating to the Common Customs Tariff and related trade and agricultural legislation. It contains the commodity nomenclature, additional codes, supplementary units, codes of documents required in the EU, and codes of countries and territories. It does not cover national taxes such as VAT or excise duty; you check those in the national tariff (in Poland, in ISZTAR4). Source: European Commission - EU Customs Tariff (TARIC).

Code structure: HS 6 → CN 8 → TARIC 10 digits

The structure is layered, and each successive layer describes the goods more precisely:

• Chapter (2 digits) and heading (4 digits) - the Harmonised System (HS) level.
• HS subheading (6 digits) - the level common to many countries around the world.
• CN subheading (8 digits) - the EU Combined Nomenclature; according to the Commission, each CN code has an 8-digit number, a description and a rate of duty (Combined Nomenclature).
• TARIC subdivision (10 digits) - the 9th and 10th digits, which together with the CN code form the TARIC code (Article 3(2) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87). They are used where the EU introduces specific measures, for example anti-dumping duty, a duty suspension or a quota. Where the goods have no such subdivision, the 9th and 10th digits are "00".
• TARIC additional code (4 characters) - used in exceptional cases (Article 3(3) of Regulation 2658/87), where a measure depends, for example, on the producer subject to anti-dumping duty or on a variant of the goods. The Commission's search tool requires an additional code that is 4 characters long.

The first 6 digits are common to many countries, so a code on an invoice from a supplier outside the EU need not be complete for clearance in the EU; the remaining digits are selected according to the EU tariff. For more on the HS code itself, see HS codes, and for CN codes, see CN codes 2026: how to find a commodity code.

How to look up a code in the European Commission's TARIC database

1. Open TARIC Consultation on the European Commission's website.
2. If you know the code, enter it in the "Goods code" field; if not, use the "Browse the Nomenclature" option or a text search of the nomenclature descriptions (you can choose the language).
3. Select the country of origin (for exports, the country of destination); preferential rates and anti-dumping measures depend on it.
4. Set the correct date: measures have dates of application, and a query for a future date may return incomplete data.
5. Read all the measure sections (rates, prohibitions and restrictions, quotas, anti-dumping), not just the basic rate.

If the tool reports an invalid code format, the Commission suggests trying the first 6 digits and reaching the code by browsing the nomenclature.

How to check a code in the Polish ISZTAR4 (PUESC)

The Ministry of Finance's ISZTAR4 tariff browser is available from the podatki.gov.pl portal and from PUESC (directly: ext-isztar4.mf.gov.pl; the sites are in Polish). You enter the name of the goods or a code, choose the right item from the results, and check the customs duty rates, taxes (VAT, excise duty) and non-tariff measures, such as required documents or quotas. The advantage of ISZTAR4 compared with the Commission's database is that, alongside the EU data, it shows national VAT and excise duty. The service is informational; final decisions are taken by the customs authorities.

What TARIC shows

• Rates and preferences - duty on third countries, preferences, autonomous suspensions and tariff quotas (see tariff quotas and duty suspensions).
• Trade defence measures - anti-dumping duties, countervailing duties and safeguard measures (see anti-dumping duty: how to check whether goods are covered).
• Prohibitions and restrictions - import or export prohibitions and limits, and controls, for example CITES, dual-use goods, and veterinary and phytosanitary controls; plus codes of documents required in the EU.
• Agricultural measures - including agricultural components and representative prices.
• Surveillance of imports and exports of goods.

TARIC does not give national VAT or excise duty. The data have dates of application, so always check the position on the date of the declaration; we write about changes to the database in TARIC updates.

TARIC and the UK Trade Tariff when importing into Great Britain

TARIC is the tariff of the European Union. The United Kingdom maintains its own tariff, available in the UK Trade Tariff service on GOV.UK: there you check the commodity code, duty and VAT on import into the UK, and any suspensions and reductions. The UK government notes that only the first 6 digits of the code are common worldwide, and the rest depends on the country; for that reason a TARIC code should not be automatically copied into a declaration in Great Britain, or vice versa. According to GOV.UK, in the UK tariff goods are classified to a 10-digit code when imported into the UK and to an 8-digit code when exported from the UK (GOV.UK - product specific rules); in a CDS declaration, digits 9 and 10 are given only on import. For imports into the UK we check the code in the UK tariff, and for imports into the EU in TARIC (GOV.UK guidance). We write about classification in the UK in the article classification of goods in UK customs clearance.

BTI: when the code is in doubt

If classification is disputed or the risk of error is high, you can apply for a binding tariff information decision (BTI). It is a decision of the customs authority which, as regards classification, binds the customs authorities in respect of its holder and the holder in respect of the authorities; under Article 33(3) of the Union Customs Code it is valid for 3 years from the date on which it becomes effective. In Poland, the application is submitted electronically via PUESC. Details: BTI: what it is and how to get it. How to determine the code itself: how to find a commodity code.

Common mistakes with TARIC codes

• Using the code from the supplier's invoice without checking it - a supplier outside the EU often gives only the HS code (6 digits), whereas clearance in the EU needs the full code.
• Omitting the country of origin - anti-dumping measures and preferences depend on origin (and sometimes on the producer).
• Missing additional code - for goods subject to a measure you must give the correct 4-character additional code.
• Wrong date of check - rates and measures have dates of application, so check the position on the date of the declaration.
• Overlooking prohibitions, restrictions and documents - the duty rate alone is not everything.
• Copying an EU code into a UK declaration (or vice versa).
• Classifying by trade name instead of by the characteristics, material and intended use of the goods.

Need help with classification?

If you are unsure of the code for your goods or the measures that apply on import, contact us and we will check the classification and tell you which documents are needed for clearance. For information on the cost of our services, see the page how much does UK customs clearance cost.

This content is informational and does not constitute a binding tariff classification.

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