Planning Use SEO page 447

Classification Record for import planning

Planning Use only. Broker review required for Entry Use.

A Classification Record is the file you wish existed before the shipment moved. It does not do licensed broker work, and it does not make a binding ruling. It gathers the facts, candidate paths, source notes, and open questions so the importer is not relying on a supplier code with no support behind it.

quick answer

A Classification Record should show Product Evidence, Product Facts, Missing Facts, HTS Candidates, rejected alternatives, Authority Sources, Duty Stack notes, and a Review Decision for Planning Use.

what belongs in the record

• Product Evidence: invoice, product page, photos, spec sheet, labels, BOM, drawings, SDS, certificates, or catalog export.
• Product Facts: what the item is, what it is made from, how it works, how it is used, how it is packed, and where production steps happened.
• Missing Facts: unanswered facts that could change classification, origin, duty exposure, admissibility, or ruling readiness.
• HTS Candidates: plausible families to research, with notes on why each one remains possible or why it was rejected.
• Authority Sources: official tariff schedule, CBP CROSS rulings, regulations, and customs authority pages.
• Duty Stack notes: base duty, trade remedies, origin dependencies, and special risk flags.
• Review Decision: Planning Use, broker review, ruling packet, or incomplete evidence.

why a loose code is weak

A supplier code can be copied from an export declaration, shortened to six digits, built for another country, or based on a product version you are not importing. That does not make the supplier careless. It means the importer still needs a record.

The record should answer the question a broker would ask next. What is the product? What fact would change the path? Which source supports the candidate? What is still missing?

missing facts

Every record should have a Missing Facts section. If nothing critical is missing, say that clearly and explain why. Silence is worse than a short note because silence makes later review guess whether the fact was checked.

Common gaps include composition, end use, exact model, function, set contents, origin steps, supplier support, and ruling precedent. For food, cosmetics, electronics, textiles, and machine parts, the gaps are often different. Write them down by product, not as boilerplate.

authority sources

• USITC HTS
• CBP CROSS
• 19 CFR 177.2
• CBP ruling program
• USTR Section 301 tariff actions

The source list should be specific enough that another reviewer can retrace it. A note like "checked customs sites" is too vague. Save the source, search term, date, and the reason it mattered.

record structure

Use a fixed structure so catalog work stays reviewable:

• Product summary.
• Evidence received.
• Product Facts.
• Missing Facts.
• HTS Candidate families.
• Rejected paths.
• Authority Sources.
• Duty Stack notes.
• Review Decision.

The point is not to make the file long. The point is to make it auditable. A two-page record with real evidence beats a long memo that hides the missing facts.

when to escalate

Escalate to broker review when the record will affect Entry Use, when the supplier code conflicts with evidence, when origin is uncertain, when trade remedies may apply, or when a ruling packet might be worth preparing.

Escalate to a ruling packet when the product is high value, repeatedly imported, technically unusual, or disputed. The packet should organize facts and questions for review. Only CBP or the relevant customs authority can issue a binding ruling.

related planning questions

• classification record
• tariff classification record
• customs classification record
• reasonable care file
• supplier HS code audit
• ruling packet

questions importers ask

Is this the same as a final code?

No. It is a Planning Use file that prepares the facts and source trail for review.

How detailed should it be?

Detailed enough that another reviewer can see why candidates were kept, rejected, or escalated.

What if no facts are missing?

Say so. Add the evidence that supports that conclusion.

internal links

• /hts-code-lookup
• /duty-surprise-scan
• /reasonable-care-file
• /planning-use-vs-entry-use

planning boundary

This Classification Record page is a planning artifact. It is not an Entry Use decision, not a binding ruling, and not a legal opinion. The importer remains responsible for reasonable care and must obtain broker or customs authority review before filing.