Product Classification
A First Step in Market Research
There are numerous resources
for information regarding products and services sold in Canada. These
resources are either government agencies or printed material. The
one-stop shopping approach to these resources is to contact the National
Technical Information Service (703-487-4650) and the U.S. Department
of Commerce's Trade Information Center Hotline (1-800-872-8723). See
the Resource document in this folder for more information about these
and other resources.
To make the best use of
these resources, you need to understand how products and services
are classified by the U.S. and Canadian governments. These classifications
are also important when preparing the required documents for shipping
your product to Canada. The most current system of classification
is called the Harmonized System (HS). The HS uses numbers to describe
and classify goods for international trade. The HS is used for customs,
reporting and compiling trade statistics, as well as for freight and
transport documents.
All countries adopting
the HS system of classification use at least six digits which are
commonly defined. The Canadian HS numbers contain 10 digits, but the
first six are identical to the U.S. number for the same product classification.
Another system of classification
sometimes used by companies is the Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC) and the Standard Industrial Trade Classification (SITC). While
these systems are similar, they do not always fit exactly. For assistance
in determining a classification for specific products or services,
contact the U.S. Department of Commerce office for that specialty.
The hotline number above can help you determine whom to call.
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