HTSBase vs USITC HTS search
Anyone who needs the official U.S. tariff schedule text and rates, free.
What USITC HTS search does
The U.S. International Trade Commission publishes the Harmonized Tariff Schedule at hts.usitc.gov. You can search it by keyword or code and read the general, special and column 2 rates and the chapter notes. It also has a free public search API that returns JSON. HTSBase builds its U.S. data from this source every week.
Signup: Free. No account needed.
Published pricing
- Search and API: Free source, checked October 2026
- Free: $0, 250 calls a month, no overage source, checked October 2026
- Starter: $29 a month, 2,000 calls, then $0.01 a call source, checked October 2026
- Growth: $99 a month, 15,000 calls, then $0.007 a call source, checked October 2026
- Scale: $199 a month, 50,000 calls, then $0.005 a call source, checked October 2026
One call returns classification, duty and landed cost for the U.S. or the EU.
Coverage
| USITC HTS search | HTSBase | |
|---|---|---|
| Signup | Free | Self-serve |
| U.S. import duty | Rates as published; no calculation by origin or value | Yes, base rate plus trade programs |
| EU duty and VAT | No | Yes, CN 2026 duty and import VAT |
| Classification from a product description | No, keyword search of the schedule text | Yes, in the same call as duty and landed cost |
| Chapter 99 stacking (Section 301, 232) | Chapter 99 text is published; stacking is not calculated | Yes, Section 301 and 232 measures stacked and shown |
| EU EUR 3 per item duty (from July 1, 2026) | No | Yes |
| MCP server for AI agents | Not published | Yes, at /api/mcp |
"Not published" means we could not find it on USITC HTS search's public pages in October 2026. It may still be available; ask USITC HTS search.
When to choose USITC HTS search instead
- You need the authentic legal text, the notes and the latest revision.
- You know the code and only need to read its rates.
- You want raw schedule data for your own system at no cost.
When HTSBase fits
- You want to start free and pay by the month without talking to sales.
- You have product descriptions, not codes, and want the code, duty and landed cost from one call.
- You import into the U.S. and need Section 301 and 232 measures shown on top of the base rate.
- You sell into the EU and need the EUR 3 per item duty and import VAT in the estimate.
- You want an AI agent to call it through MCP.
Sources
- USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule, checked October 2026
See our own numbers on the accuracy page and the status page.
250 free calls a month.
Classification, duty and landed cost for the U.S. and EU in one call.