CN code vs HS code vs TARIC
Three nomenclatures, nested inside one another. Sanctions annexes use the middle one — and screening at the wrong level is the most common reason a check produces the wrong answer.
The three levels
| Nomenclature | Digits | Maintained by | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harmonized System (HS) | 6 | World Customs Organization | International standard; the common base worldwide |
| Combined Nomenclature (CN) | 8 | European Commission | EU tariff and statistics; the level sanctions annexes use |
| TARIC | 10 | European Commission | EU measures: duties, quotas, prohibitions, surveillance |
Each level extends the one above it. The first six digits of a CN code are the HS code; the first eight digits of a TARIC code are the CN code. A product therefore has one classification expressed at three levels of precision, not three different classifications.
Why the HS stops at six digits
The HS is an international convention, and its six-digit subheadings are common to every contracting party — which is what makes trade statistics comparable across countries. Below six digits, jurisdictions diverge: the EU adds two digits to form the CN, the United States adds four to form the HTS, and so on. This is why a six-digit code from a foreign supplier is portable and an eight-digit one generally is not.
Why sanctions screening needs eight
EU sanctions annexes are written against CN codes at eight digits, and they discriminate at that level constantly. Under a single six-digit subheading, some eight-digit codes may be restricted and others not — the annexes were drafted to catch specific products, and the drafters used the precision available to them.
The consequences of screening at six digits run both ways. Treating the whole six-digit group as restricted stops shipments that are lawful, which costs revenue and credibility. Treating it as clear because the restricted subheading was not the one you looked at is the more serious failure. Neither error is visible without going to eight digits.
Annexes also use the "ex" convention: a code prefixed with "ex" is restricted only as to the goods matching the description that follows. Here even an exact eight-digit match does not settle the question — the written description governs, and the numeric code merely locates it.
Where TARIC fits
TARIC is the EU's integrated tariff database. Its ten-digit codes carry the measures applicable to a code — duties, quotas, anti-dumping, prohibitions and restrictions — and it is the right tool for establishing what applies at the customs border. Some sanctions-derived prohibitions surface in TARIC, which makes it a useful cross-check, but TARIC is organised around customs treatment rather than around the sanctions regulations themselves. It will not give you the annex, the article, the derogation or the wind-down clause, and it does not replace reading the regulation.
Codes change — and that breaks stored data
The HS is revised roughly every five years, and the CN is updated annually: a new version is published in the autumn and applies from 1 January. Codes are created, merged, split and deleted at each revision.
This matters more than it sounds. Master data captured under an earlier version can contain codes that no longer exist, or codes that still exist but now cover a different scope. A sanctions screening run against stale classifications is unreliable regardless of how current the sanctions dataset is. Re-validate classifications on each CN update, and treat any code inherited from a legacy system or a supplier document as unverified until checked.
Practical rules
- Store eight-digit CN codes in master data; six digits is not enough for EU screening.
- Never assume a supplier's foreign eight- or ten-digit code maps to your CN code — only the first six digits are comparable.
- Classify parts and components in their own right; they often fall outside the finished article's heading.
- Where an annex uses "ex", read the description before concluding anything from the number.
- Re-validate classifications annually, and after any product specification change.
- Use a Binding Tariff Information decision where classification is genuinely doubtful and the exposure justifies it.
Once the codes are right, screening them is the mechanical part — see how to check if an HS code is sanctioned, or browse measures by HS chapter. TRADESANCTIONS.EU accepts codes at CN level and screens a full catalogue in one pass.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between an HS code and a CN code?
- The HS code is the six-digit international classification maintained by the World Customs Organization and is common to all contracting parties. The CN code is the EU's eight-digit extension of it, maintained by the European Commission for tariff and statistical purposes. The first six digits of a CN code are the HS code — they are levels of the same classification, not separate systems.
- Do EU sanctions use HS codes or CN codes?
- EU sanctions annexes are written against eight-digit CN codes. Screening at the six-digit HS level is unreliable because annexes routinely restrict some eight-digit codes beneath a six-digit subheading while leaving others unrestricted.
- What is a TARIC code?
- TARIC is the EU's integrated tariff database, using ten-digit codes that extend the CN by two further digits. It records the measures applying at the customs border — duties, quotas, prohibitions and restrictions. It is a useful cross-check but does not give the annex, article or derogation detail needed for a sanctions determination.
- How often do CN codes change?
- The Combined Nomenclature is updated annually, with the new version published in the autumn and applying from 1 January. The underlying Harmonized System is revised roughly every five years. Codes are created, merged, split and deleted at each revision, so stored classifications need periodic re-validation.