All commodities have been given numerical codes, or commodity codes, that work as a kind of common language for almost all foreign trade. The use of these numerical codes is required by the customs administrations of almost all countries, and various other authorities.
Goods imported from outside the EU must be cleared through customs, at which point a commodity code must be declared for all the goods. Goods cannot be cleared without a commodity code. Finding the correct commodity code is important, so that the correct amount and type of duties, taxes and other payments are made, and the right regulations are applied. As importer, you are responsible for classifying the goods correctly.
You can ask the Customs Information Service for advice about commodity codes, collected taxes and duties and any restrictions. Be prepared to explain what kinds of goods you are thinking about importing. Determining the correct commodity code requires an accurate description of the goods with at least the following information:
- the material of the goods
- purpose of use
- in case of a device: what device, its basic functions (e.g. just ‘electronics’ is not sufficient)
- what the product contains (e.g. natural health products).
The Taric database of the European Commission contains e.g. the following:
- valid commodity codes and code texts as well as their footnotes
- duties on imports from outside the EU
- tariff measures, such as anti-dumping duties, according to the EU legislation
- EU import and export restrictions and prohibitions
- agricultural components (EA), additional duties for sugar and flour (AD S/Z, AD F/M)
- some other measures applied to export or import.
Please have a look at the frequently asked questions.
If you have a question about the arrival of parcels, its contents or the handling fee, please contact Posti.