Product Search Help

• Keyword Search
• Code Search
• Browsing the List of Products

There are 3 methods for finding specific products: a keyword search where a descriptor is entered, a code search where an HS code number is entered and the browse option where all the 6-digits HS codes and descriptions are listed by sections and chapters.

Search Results

In all cases, the result of a product search is a picklist of 6-digits HS codes. At this point, there are two options:

• Generating a Report for the Selected (i.e. highlighted) Product.
• "Drilling down" to display 10-digits HS codes (matching the Canadian Customs Tariff) which may offer a further breakdown.

In all cases, only one code can be selected at one time.

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Keyword Search

The keyword search helps you find a specific product (and the numeric HS code associated with it) by typing one or more words.

Instructions:

1. Enter one or more keywords in the search window.
2. The search is not case sensitive and you are not required to enter accented characters.
3. Multiple words must be separated by a space and the following operators can be used : AND NOT OR
4. Click on the search button and a picklist of results will be displayed.
5. If unsuccessful, try synonyms, alternate spelling or other combinations of related terms.

Keyword searching uses a built-in thesaurus. It is a string type of search which is not case sensitive. A limit of 500 returned codes

has been put in place to keep the response time manageable.

The search engine looks through every "character string" (contiguous set of letters) in the product (commodity) descriptions as well as through a list of synonyms and other associated terms that Industry Canada has added for use in Strategis in a built-in thesaurus.

About the Keyword Thesaurus

For instance, the word "bovine" is the term commonly used in the Harmonized System (HS) - the word "cow" has been added in the thesaurus as a keyword. Thus, if a search is carried out using the word "cow", commodity codes using the term "bovine" will also be returned.

The word "animal" has also been added to the thesaurus. A user wishing to find all the codes for "live animals" (entered in the window as "Live AND AnimaL") would thus pick up bovines (incl. cows), swine (incl.pigs) and equines (incl. horses) among others through inclusion of the latter term in the thesaurus. This allows retrieval of similar types commodities through use of more generic terms.

Spelling

As previously indicated, the search is not case sensitive, but is dependent on correct spelling.

In some cases, there may be differences between the British (or European) and the Canadian (or north American) spellings of a word; examples: "soya beans" and "soybeans", "fibres" and "fibers", "colour" and "color". Also, some words may be hyphenated; examples: "man-made", "CD-ROMS", "non-alloy", "infra-red" (as opposed to "infrared"). While an attempt has been made to capture as many variations possible using the built-in thesaurus, you may need to try alternative spelling in some cases. Work on expanding and improving the thesaurus is ongoing.

Unsuccessful Keyword Searches

The most common reasons for unsuccessful keyword searches are:

• Spelling errors
• Entering a "company" name rather than a "product name" (e.g. Company ABC rather than Bicycles)
• Entering the name for a "service" rather than a "product name" (e.g. Repair Services)
• Entering a "brand name" rather than a generic "product name" (e.g. Brand X rather Beer)

Uses of "Operators"

You can search the commodity or industry descriptions using more than one word and with logical (boolean) operators such as "AND", "NOT" and "OR" spaced between your words. The keyword search also automatically consults the built-in thesaurus to help you narrow or broaden your search criteria as required.

Search on: "engines AND aircraft"

This will return only codes and descriptions related in some way to both these terms. The numerous types of engines not associated with aircrafts will not appear, although components of aircraft engines will be picked up.

Search on: "sandals OR slippers"

This will return codes and descriptions relating to both these terms. Other kind of footwear will be excluded by this more precise selection.

Search on: "suits NOT track"

This will return only codes and descriptions related to "suits", but will exclude "track suits" from the returned list.

Because the search is a string type of search, you might pick up items that do not seem related to your request. For instance, a search on "organ" will pick up that string of letters from words such "organic" and "inorganic" in the thesaurus and display a long list of organic and inorganic chemicals. Thus, if you are looking for say "pipe organs" or "church organs", these can be more precisely found by using "organ AND musical" as your entries in the keyword search box.

Do not include any "wildcard" operators

Wildcard operators are not supported in this search.

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Code Search

The code search helps you find a specific product by typing one or more 6-digits numeric HS codes. This is useful only if you know specific numeric codes or have an idea of the code range.

Instructions

1. Enter a valid code making sure the digits are NOT separated by dots.
2. The code must have a maximum of 6 digits - to find a 10-digits code enter the first 6-digits, then "drilldown" from the "Search Results" screen.
3. A range of codes may be entered using the " : " as an operator
   (Example: 8403 : 8406)
4. A list of codes may also be specified using the " OR " operator
   (Example: 040310 OR 251010 OR 842511)
5. Click on the Search button and a picklist of results will be displayed.
6. If unsuccessful, verify the correctness of the code(s), or alternatively use the "Keyword Search" option.

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Browsing the List of Products

This option allows you to find a specific product by browsing through a complete list of all the 6-digits HS product codes used in the database.

How the List Works

On the Product search screen, you will first get a screen showing the sections and chapters of the Harmonized System (HS) - the international commodity classification system used to keep track of imports and exports of various products.

By choosing a section or chapter (or in some cases a sub-chapter), you can get on the next screen a listing of all the products classified under the heading you chose. This is most useful to those for prefer browsing.

Choose one section or chapter to browse.

A - Live Animals and Animal Products      01 - Live Animals      02 - Meat and Edible Meat Offal      03 - Fish, Crustaceans, Molluscs and Other Aquatic             Invertebrates      04 - Dairy Produce, Eggs, Honey and Other Similar             Edible Products of Animal Origin      05 - Products of Animal Origin Not Elsewhere Classified B - Vegetable Products      06 - Live Trees and Other Plants (Incl. Cut Flowers and             Ornamental Foliage)      07 - Edible Vegetables and Certain Roots and Tubers      08 - Edible Fruits and Nuts      09 - Coffee, Tea, Maté and Spices      10 - Cereals      11 - Products of the Milling Industry; Malt, Straches,             Inulin and Wheat Gluten      12 - Oil Seeds, Oleaginous Fruits, Industrial or             Medicinal Plants, Straw and Fodder      13 - Lac, Gums, Resins and Other Vegetable Saps and             Extracts      14 - Vegetable Plaiting Material and Other Similar             Vegetable Products C - Fats, Oils, Their Cleavage Products and Waxes      15 - Fats, Oils, Their Cleavage Products and Waxes D - Food Products, Beverages, Spirits, Vinegar and      Tobacco Products      16 - Meat, Fish and Seafood Preparations      17 - Sugars and Sugar Confectionery      18 - Cocoa and Cocoa Preparations      19 - Preparations of Cereals, Flour, Starch or Milk             (Including Bread and Pastry)      20 - Preparations of Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts or Other             Parts of Plants      21 - Miscellaneous Edible Preparations      22 - Beverages, Spirits and Vinegar      23 - Residues and Waste from the Food Industries, and             Prepared Animal Fodder      24 - Tobacco and Manufactured Tobacco Substitutes E - Mineral Products      25 - Salt, Sulfur, Earths, Lime, Stone, Cement and             Plastering Materials      26 - Ores, Slag and Ash      27 - Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils, Bituminous Substances             and Mineral Waxes F - Products of the Chemical or Allied Industries      28 - Inorganic Chemicals and Compounds of Precious             Metals and Radioactive Elements      29 - Organic Chemicals (Including Vitamins, Alkaloids             and Antibiotics)      30 - Pharmaceutical Products      31 - Fertilizers      32 - Tannins, Dyes, Pigments, Paints, Varnishes, Inks,             Putty and Other Similar Substances      33 - Essential Oils and Resinoids, Perfumes, Cosmetics             and Toilet Preparations      34 - Soap, Washing and Lubricating Preparations, Waxes             and Related Articles      35 - Albuminoidal Substances, Modified Starches, Glues             and Enzymes      36 - Explosives, Matches and Other Miscellaneous             Combustible Preparations      37 - Photographic or Cinematographic Goods      38 - Miscellaneous Chemical Products G - Plastics, Rubber and Articles Made From These      Materials      39 - Plastics and Articles Thereof      40 - Rubber and Articles Thereof H - Raw Hides, Skins, Leather, Fur and Articles Made      From These Materials      41 - Raw Hides, Skins (Other than Furskins) and Leather      42 - Articles of Leather; Saddlery and Harness, Travel             Goods, Hanbags and Similar Containe      43 - Furskins, Artificial Fur and Related Articles of             Apparel or Clothing Accessories I - Wood and Wood ARticles, Cork, Straw and Other      Plaiting Materials      44 - Wood and Articles of Wood (Incl. Wood Charcoal)      45 - Cork and Articles of Cork      46 - Straw and Other Plaiting Materials; Basketware and             Wickerwork J - Wood Pulp, Paper and Paper Articles      47 - Pulp of Wood and The Like; Waste and Scrap of             Paper or Paperboard      48 - Paper, Paperboard and Articles Made From These             Materials      49 - Printed Books, Newspapers, Pictures, Manuscripts             and The Like K - Textiles and Textile Articles      50 - Silk      51 - Wool, Wool Yarns and Wool Fabrics      52 - Cotton, Cotton Yarns and Cotton Fabrics      53 - Other Vegetable Textile Fibers, Yarns and Fabrics      54 - Man-Made Filaments, Filament Yarns and Fabrics      55 - Man-Made Staple Fibers, Staple Fiber Yarns and             Fabrics      56 - Wadding, Felt, Nonwovens, Twine, Cordage, Rope,             Cables and Related Articles      57 - Carpets and Other Textile Floor Coverings      58 - Special Woven or Tufted Fabrics, Lace, Trimmings,             Embroidery and Tapestries      59 - Coated, Impregnated, Covered or Laminated Fabrics             and Industrial Textiles      60 - Knitted or Crocheted Fabrics      61 - Knitted or Crocheted Clothing and Articles of             Apparel      62 - Woven Clothing and Articles of Apparel      63 - Other Made-Up Textile Articles and Worn Clothing L - Footwear, Headwear, Umbrellas, Canes and Similar      Accessories      64 - Footwear      65 - Headwear      66 - Umbrellas, Whips, Walking-Sticks and Similar             Articles      67 - Prepared Feathers and Downs, Artificial Flowers             and the Like M - Glass, Glassware; Articles of Ceramics, Stone and      Similar Materials      68 - Articles of Stone, Plaster, Cement, Asbestos, Mica             or Similar Materials      69 - Ceramic Products      70 - Glass and Glassware N - Pearls, Precious Metals or Stones, Coins and      Jewellery      71 - Pearls, Precious Stones or Metals, Coins and             Jewellery O - Base Metals and Articles of Base Metal      72 - Iron and Steel      73 - Articles of Iron or Steel      74 - Copper and Articles Thereof      75 - Nickel and Articles Thereof      76 - Aluminum and Articles Thereof      78 - Lead and Articles Thereof      79 - Zinc and Articles Thereof      80 - Tin and Articles Thereof      81 - Other Base Metals, Cermets and Articles Thereof      82 - Tools, Implements, Cutlery, Spoons and Forks of             Base Metals      83 - Miscellaneous Articles of Base Metal P - Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and      Mechanical Appliances      84 - Reactors, Boilers, Turbines, Engines and Motors      84 - Pumps, Compressors, Fans, Furnaces, Burners, Ovens             and Refrigerating Equipment      84 - Water Heaters, Washers, Sprayers, Dryers, Filters             and Other Similar Machinery      84 - Lifting, Handling, Loading, Levelling, Boring and             Other Similar Machinery      84 - Agricultural, Horticultural, Forestry or Food             Preparation Equipment      84 - Pulp, Paper, Printing, Knitting, Sewing, Cleaning,             Tanning and Bleaching Equipment      84 - Machine Tools for Working Metals, Stone, Ceramics,             Wood and Similar Materials      84 - Hand Tools and Gas-Operated Machinery      84 - Typewriters, Calculators, Word Processors,             Computers and Other Office Machines      84 - Machinery for Use in Mining, Manufacturing and             Tobacco Processing      84 - Moulds, Taps, Cocks, Valves, Bearings, Gaskets and             Transportation Equipment Q - Electrical Machinery and Equipment; Electronic      Products      85 - Electric Motors, Generators, Converters,             Transformers, Primary Cells and Batteries      85 - Electric Power Tools and Electro-Mechanical             Domestic Appliances      85 - Telephones, Radios, Televisions, Radar, Video and             Sound Processing Equipment      85 - Capacitors, Resistors, Printed Circuits,             Insulators and Electronic Equipment R - Transportation      86 - Rail Transportation (Incl. Tramways and Traffic             Signalling Equipment)      87 - Motor Vehicles, Trailers, Bicycles, Motorcycles             and Other Similar Vehicles      88 - Aircrafts and Spacecrafts      89 - Ships, Boats and Floating Structures S - Clocks, Watches and Specialized Instrumentation      90 - Optical, Medical , Photographic, Scientific and             Technical Instrumentation      91 - Clock and Watches and Parts Thereof      92 - Musical Instruments T - Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles      93 - Arms and Ammunitions and Parts Thereof      94 - Furniture, Bedding, Mattresses, Cushions and Other             Stuffed Furnishings      94 - Lamps, Lighting Fittings, Illuminated Signs;             Prefabricated Builduings      95 - Toys, Games, Sporting Goods and Other Goods for             Amusement      96 - Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles U - Works of Art, Collector's Pieces and Antiques      97 - Works of Art, Collector's Pieces and Antiques

Note: Chapters 84, 85 and 94 of the HS are broken into sub-sections for easier access to the subject matter.

A Section usually regroups several chapters and appears in upper case in the list. (e.g. Live Animals and Animal Products regroups Chapters 1 to 5). Choosing this selection will yield a picklist of all the products (6-digit HS codes) in that section.

Clicking on a Specific Chapter (e.g. 01 Live Animals) will yield a picklist of just the 6-digit Harmonized System codes (i.e. products listed) in that chapter. In either case (section or chapter), you can then select individual products.

Finding 10-Digits HS Codes

To browse through a list of 10-digits HS codes (matching the Canadian Customs Tariff), first highlight the desired 6-digits HS code in the picklist, then click on the "Drilldown" button.

Can't Find a Specific Product?

We suggest you try the keyword search. The built-in thesaurus will help with its synonyms and associated terms.

Also be sure you are looking for "generic" terms and not for "Brand Names"!
Thus, for example, in Chapter 22 - Beverages, Spirits and Vinegar, you will find HS 220300 - Beer Made From Malt - but not any reference to "Brand X" or "Brand Y" of beer.

Not Sure You Have a Complete List?

Again, try the keyword search, as sometimes similar products are located in different chapters because of their construction or constituent materials.