2012 Harmonized System FAQ - Inttra

2012 Harmonized System (HS) Nomenclature Implementation
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
General Questions
1. What is the Harmonized System Nomenclature (HSN)?
The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System generally referred to as
“Harmonized System" or simply "HS" is a multipurpose international product
nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO).
It comprises about 5,000 commodity groups; each identified by a six digit code,
arranged in a legal and logical structure and is supported by well-defined rules to
achieve uniform classification. The system is used by more than 200 countries and
economies as a basis for their Customs tariffs and for the collection of international
trade statistics. Over 98 % of the merchandise in international trade is classified in
terms of the HS.
2. Why is INTTRA aligning with the 2012 HS Nomenclature?
To ensure uninterrupted service when customers are using INTTRA’s shipment
management tools, we will add the new HS codes in January so they will be available
to all customers and carriers to use. INTTRA recognizes that the HS numbers are
critical data elements in the Booking, Shipping Instruction and Shipping Order
transactions submitted to carriers on our portal.
3. How will the 2012 HS Nomenclature be implemented at INTTRA?
INTTRA will implement the new standards in two steps:
• On January 9, new codes and amended description of existing codes will be
implemented in all of INTTRA’s services.
• Codes eliminated by the WCO will remain in INTTRA’s system and is available
to customers until further notice. We aim to remove the eliminated codes in
the 2 nd quarter of 2012. A notice will be sent to customers and carrier
partners a minimum of 30 days prior to the removal.
4. Why is INTTRA implementing the 2012 HS codes in two steps?
INTTRA recognizes that customers and carrier partners may need more time to fully
transition to the updated HS codes. There may be bookings that were made with the
eliminated codes still in the pipeline, internal systems may still need to be updated,
and some countries are also still preparing the transition. We want to facilitate an as
smooth as possible transition.
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User Questions
5. What INTTRA service products will be impacted?
The new 2012 HS codes will be implemented on all shipment process management
services at the same time. These services contain entry fields for commodity
descriptions or codes. Specifically, the impacted services are Shipping Instructions,
Shipping Orders, and Bookings.
6. What INTTRA platforms will be impacted?
The new nomenclature will be implemented on all platforms at the same time. These
are I-LINK, I-ACT, and I-Desktop.
7. How will the change impact SI service users?
Starting January 9, customers will have access to new codes when entering a
commodity code. Alternatively, new descriptions will be available to users who
search for the commodity code by description. Codes that WCO is eliminating in the
2012 HS update will still be available until sometime during the 2 nd quarter of 2012.
8. How will the change impact SO service users?
Starting January 9, customers will have access to new codes when entering a
commodity code. Alternatively, new descriptions will be available to users who
search for the commodity code by description. Codes that WCO is eliminating in the
2012 HS update will still be available until sometime during the 2 nd quarter of 2012.
9. How will the change impact Booking service users?
Starting January 9, customers will have access to new codes when entering a
commodity code. Alternatively, new descriptions will be available to users who
search for the commodity code by description. Codes that WCO is eliminating in the
2012 HS update will still be available until sometime during the 2 nd quarter of 2012.
10. What do users have to do to use the new HS Codes?
Users of INTTRA’s shipping instructions, shipping order, and booking services do not
need to take any action in order to use the new codes starting January 9. New codes
will automatically be available to all customers.
11. What will happen to a booking made or shipping instruction submitted with
2007 (previous) codes that are eliminated in the 2012 nomenclature?
The booking or shipping instructions will still be received properly by INTTRA and
transmitted to the carriers. Carriers will be able to process 2007 HS codes and
determine if they need to be adjusted in order to file the manifest data.
12. If a booking was made with the 2007 HS nomenclature, does the SI need to
be submitted using the 2007 HS nomenclature as well?
Customers should strive to report the same HS codes for their commodities on their
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ooking and SI transactions. If a booking was created using a 2007 HS code, then
they should submit their SI using the same 2007 HS code until such time the code is
removed from our system.
13. What carriers will start using the 2012 HS Codes in 2012?
All carriers have been made aware of the 2012 HS code updates and are able to
accept the new codes.
14. Where can customers go for help or questions?
Customers can always contact our service centers around the globe:
http://www.inttra.com/contact-customer-service. Alternatively, customers can contact our
24/7 online service center: https://na8.salesforce.com/home/home.jsp.
Technical Questions
15. What countries are implementing the 2012 HS codes at the beginning of
2012?
We do not have a full list available at this time. The US and Canada will begin using
the 2012 nomenclature in early 2012. Several countries in Europe are working on
their updates, but many have not yet completed the updates. Australia and New
Zealand are expected to complete their 2012 updates in 2012. All other countries
should complete their updates within 2012.
16. What codes are being added in the 2012 HS Nomenclature?
Please refer to the HS Code 2007 and 2012 comparison table posted on the WCO
website:
http://www.wcoomd.org/files/1.%20Public%20files/PDFandDocuments/HarmonizedSystem/too
ls_instruments/I_TRP1207rev3Eng.pdf
17. What commodity descriptions will be changed in the 2012 HS
Nomenclature?
Please refer to the HS Code 2007 and 2012 comparison table posted on the WCO
website:
http://www.wcoomd.org/files/1.%20Public%20files/PDFandDocuments/HarmonizedSystem/too
ls_instruments/I_TRP1207rev3Eng.pdf
18. What codes will be eliminated in the 2012 HS Nomenclature?
Please refer to the HS Code 2007 and 2012 comparison table posted on the WCO
website:
http://www.wcoomd.org/files/1.%20Public%20files/PDFandDocuments/HarmonizedSystem/too
ls_instruments/I_TRP1207rev3Eng.pdf
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