• The U.S. Commercial Service Market Research Library (MRL) is the best way to obtain country and industry specific market research. The website provides access to the MRL, which contains more than 100,000 market reports, web sites, events, and trade directory listings.  The reports are written by U.S. Commercial Service industry specialists in the specific country of interest.

How can I receive information on foreign regulations, standards, or certification requirements for my product?

• Contact the IBC Outreach Office and a staff member will gladly assist you.

Is there a tariff duty that applies to my product in a foreign country?

• Tariff and tax information specific for each individual country and product and is available from the Internet, private sources, and from the federal government. For official rates, it is always best to contact customs authorities in the country to which a product will be exported. For example, if a product is being exported from the United States to France, French customs authorities should be contacted for official tariff and tax information. The U.S. Department of Commerce's Trade Information Center (TIC) 1-800-USA-TRADE or http://www.export.gov/logistics/eg_main_018142.asp can provide unofficial, estimated tariff duty and tax rates for non-agricultural products for certain countries, as well as contact information for foreign customs authorities.

What is a Harmonized System (HS) classification number?

• The Harmonized System Classification is a 6-digit standardized numerical method of classifying traded products. HS numbers are used by customs authorities around the world to identify products for the application of duties and taxes. Additional digits are added to the HS number by some governments to further distinguish products in certain categories.

What is a Schedule B number?

• In the United States, numbers used to classify exported products are called "Schedule B" numbers. The U.S. Census Bureau administers the Schedule B system. Schedule B numbers, not HS numbers, must be provided on the Shippers' Export Declaration (SED). The Census Bureau uses SEDs and Schedule B numbers to calculate U.S. export statistics.

• Yes. The HS number is an internationally accepted code. The basic HS code contains 6-digits, known as a subheading. The Schedule B is a 10-digit code built upon the first 6 digits of the HS code. Additionally, the Schedule B code is a U.S.-specific coding system used by the U.S. Government to monitor U.S. exports.
• To find your HS or Schedule B number, you can access the U.S. Census Bureau's Schedule B Search Engine by visiting the Census Bureau website to classify your own product through a keyword search.
• If you require assistance in classifying your product, call the Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Division at 1-800-549-0595.
• For further assistance, please contact the Trade Information Center:

Tel: 1-800-USA-TRAD(E) (1-800-872-8723)
Fax: (202) 482-4473
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Internet: http://www.export.gov/

• An export license grants permission to conduct a certain type of export transaction. The U.S. Government does not maintain a generic export licensing system. However, a relatively small percentage of all U.S. export transactions require export licenses from the U.S. Government. The following attributes will determine whether you would need an export license: the characteristics of your product, the item's destination, and the recipient's intended end-use of the item.
• When an export license is required, you must apply for the license from the appropriate licensing agency, which will grant (or deny) a license after a careful review of the facts surrounding the given export transaction. An example of a licensing agency is the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. BIS is responsible for licensing products that are "dual-use," or have both commercial and military or proliferation applications. The BIS website is http://www.bis.doc.gov.
• For more information about export regulations and licensing requirements click here.
  Note: Individuals and companies with questions or concerns about restricted or prohibited exports should be diligent in their efforts to understand and fully comply with all laws and regulations related to these. Failure to do so may result in substantial penalties.

Where can I find information on trade sanctions?

• The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in the U.S. Treasury Department administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions against targeted foreign countries, terrorism-sponsoring organizations, and international narcotics traffickers based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals. OFAC acts under Presidential wartime and national emergency powers, along with authority granted by specific legislation, to impose controls on transactions and freeze foreign assets under U.S. jurisdiction. Many of the sanctions are based on United Nations and other international mandates, are multilateral in scope, and involve close cooperation with allied governments.
• For information, please contact OFAC by telephone at 1-800-540-6322. Much of the information available from OFAC can also be accessed on its Internet website, http://www.treas.gov/ofac, and its Information-by-Fax service. This automated service is free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by dialing (202) 622-0077 from any touchtone phone. OFAC documents on the system include all those available on the OFAC site as well as notices, such as General Notice No.1, licensing guidelines, and copies of Federal Register notices (often including notices filed, but not yet printed in the Federal Register). The "Index of Available Documents" is date-specific.
  Note: Individuals and companies with questions or concerns about trade sanctions should be diligent in their efforts to understand and fully comply with all laws and regulations related to these. Failure to do so may result in substantial penalties.

• The NAFTA establishes special preferential tariff treatment for goods "originating" in and traded among NAFTA countries. However, the NAFTA Certificate of Origin is not a required entry document for shipments between the United States and Mexico or Canada and should only be prepared if the product qualifies under the NAFTA Rules of Origin for preferential tariff treatment. The exporter must first initiate a process to determine if the product qualifies and whether a Certificate of Origin is needed.
• Completion of a NAFTA Certificate of Origin is an affirmation that the party signing the document has researched the terms of the NAFTA and has determined that the goods covered by the certificate are "originating", as defined in the agreement. Preparation of this certificate imposes certain legal rights, obligations and liabilities on the party signing the document and should be based on a careful inquiry into the terms of the NAFTA as they apply to each product.
• One of the most difficult issues exporters face when exporting to one of the NAFTA countries is determining whether the product can be considered an "originating good". Origin is not determined by where the product begins its export journey. The term "originating" means qualifying under the rules of origin set out in Chapter Four of the NAFTA agreement. The NAFTA Certificate of Origin must be completed in order to receive preferential tariff treatment upon entry into the importing country.
• Many U.S. companies are unfamiliar with the agreement and mistakenly believe that products produced in the United States, Canada, or Mexico qualify for NAFTA treatment. Most firms are unaware that they need to determine whether there are any foreign parts, components, or raw materials used to manufacture their final product.  If your product was not manufactured or produced in the NAFTA region (Canada, Mexico, or the U.S.), then it does NOT qualify for NAFTA preferential tariff treatment.  If your product contains some materials that are not from NAFTA countries, then it must have a regional value content of at least 60%. 
• U.S. companies must obtain or confirm the appropriate Schedule B or Harmonized Tariff Classification Number for their product(s) in order to reference the rules of origin that govern the allowable percentage of foreign components. The classification number is also used by shippers in reporting export shipments, by governments in compiling official trade statistics, and by customs authorities in determining the relevant import duties to be paid. Rules of origin can be found at http://www.export.gov/fta/NAFTA under Rules of Origin.

How can I obtain information about importing products into the United States?

• To obtain U.S. tariff (duty) rates for imports, check on regulations such as import quotas, or obtain general import information, visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) website at http://www.cbp.gov and click on "Import" or visit the U.S. International Trade Commission website at http://www.usitc.gov and click on "Tariff Schedule." Local Customs offices can also be contacted for import information. A comprehensive listing of U.S. Customs offices and contacts is available on the U.S. Customs website at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contacts/.

If you would like assistance with any of these matters, contact the IBC Outreach Office and a staff member will gladly assist you.