HS Codes Mandatory on September 1

Effective September 1, to reflect revisions to the Regulations of the Universal Postal Convention, the Postal Service will require a minimum 6-digit HS code in the customs declaration for each article containing goods of a commercial nature in the mailpiece. The August 7 issue of the Postal Bulletin notes that this requirement will be incorporated in the September 8 edition of the International Mail Manual, even though the new rule takes effect September 1.

The Postal Service says it is ready to support this requirement through all its customer-facing systems (Global Shipping Software, Click N Ship, or Retail Shipping Software etc.), which will be able to generate a 6-digit HS code based on a good description of the item, if the shipper is using a USPS system. USPS will not check if the HS code provided by a shipper is valid (i.e., the HS code matches the item description) but will check for minimum and maximum digits and that digits are numeric. For shippers or service providers that use their own software and submit the Shipping Services File (SSF) to USPS, the Postal Service will not generate an HS code. The mailer will need to include the 6D HS code for all items containing goods in the relevant field in the SSF.

The Postal Service is not validating HS codes in the SSF either (i.e., checking the HS code against the product description). Product Tracking and Reporting (PTR) will only provide a warning if the HS code is missing, or if the HS Code is less than six characters. Neither of the warnings is a failure, USPS confirms. However, USPS officials note that they are working to have a system in place that will reject the mailpiece if it does not have an HS code. This filter to flag missing HS codes is not expected to be ready on September 1, but mailers should prepare and include HS codes starting September 1.