How to map HS codes to the CHPL

By VetLane HQ, export screening for component distributors · Last reviewed 19 October 2026 against the official sources cited

The Common High Priority List names 50 goods by their 6 digit HS code. To know which of your parts are on it, you need one thing per catalogue line: a reliable HS code. This guide covers which digits to compare, where to find the codes, and the mistakes that hide a listed item.

Compare the first 6 digits, whatever your national code

The Harmonized System is shared by customs worldwide up to 6 digits. Each country then adds its own digits:

A part is on the CHPL when the first 6 digits of its code match a listed subheading. 8542.31.90 in the EU and 8542.31.00.01 in the US are both 8542.31, Tier 1. The example national digits above are illustrations; use the code from your own declarations.

Where to find a reliable code for each part

• Your customs declarations and those of your forwarder: the code you declared is the one an auditor will compare with your screening.
• The manufacturer. Many publish an HTS or Schedule B code with the export classification of each part, and the page often stays online after the part is discontinued.
• Supplier invoices, which usually carry the code used at import. Check them: a code copied from one invoice to the next can be years out of date.
• A customs broker, for parts you cannot classify with confidence.

Write down where each code came from. "Manufacturer page, read on this date" is evidence; "we always used this code" is not.

Headings that hold several listed codes

A wrong last digit can move a part off the list or onto it. These headings hold more than one CHPL subheading, so a part classified under them deserves a check of the full 6 digits:

The CHPL check tool warns you when you enter a code that is not listed but sits under one of these headings.

Mistakes that hide a listed item

• Matching on 4 digits only. Heading 8541 holds diodes, transistors and LEDs: most of its subheadings are listed, but not all (light-emitting diodes under 8541.41 are not). Always compare 6 digits.
• Using a code from your own product family list instead of the customs code. Internal categories rarely follow the HS.
• Assuming a module is clean because its code is not listed. A board or module is classified as a whole and its code may not be on the CHPL even when it carries listed chips. The buyer and destination checks still apply.
• Leaving lines without a code. A part with no HS code is a part you have not screened. Count them and fix them first.
• Ignoring HS revisions. The HS is revised every five years; the next edition (HS 2027) is due to take effect on 1 January 2027. When codes move, check them against the list version you rely on.

A simple routine for a whole catalogue

1. Export part number, description and HS code from your ERP.
2. Remove dots and spaces, keep at least the first 6 digits.
3. Compare with the 50 CHPL codes: check a code with the Quick CHPL Check, or import the whole catalogue into VetLane, which also checks the EU annexes and US EAR Part 746.
4. Review the parts flagged under a heading with listed codes, and the lines with no code.
5. Mark listed parts in your ERP so every order for them triggers the buyer and destination checks described in the CHPL guide.

This guide explains public rules and guidance as of its review date. It is not legal advice; for a specific transaction, speak to an export control lawyer.