Schedule B, for what leaves
Ten digits, kept by the US Census Bureau, used on the commercial invoice and any AES filing when a shipment leaves the United States. This is the number a seller shipping a part abroad actually needs.
Auto parts, customs
What HS code covers an auto part
A carburetor and a bumper cover both count as an auto part, and they sit under two entirely different classification numbers. Heading 8708, parts and accessories of the motor vehicles of headings 8701 to 8705, breaks into more than a dozen subheadings below it, one per kind of part rather than one per vehicle. The table below comes straight from the US Census Bureau's Schedule B, chapter 87, the 2026 edition read on 2026-08-21.
Census Schedule B, datedEvery 8708 subheadingWe file none of it
One heading, many parts
8708 is the umbrella. The two digits after the dot are what actually separate a brake from a bumper.
Heading 8708, subheading by subheading
Every row below is copied from the same source document: US Census Bureau, Schedule B, Classification of Exports, Chapter 87, 2026 edition, read 2026-08-21. Two things worth noticing before the table. First, a part built for a tractor sometimes carries its own line separate from the same part built for a car, so read the whole entry rather than stopping at the first match. Second, subheading 8708.99 is the true catch-all: if a part does not fit any named category above it, that is where it lands.
| Subheading | Covers |
|---|---|
| 8708.10 | Bumpers and parts thereof |
| 8708.21 | Safety seat belts |
| 8708.22 | Front windscreens, rear windows and other windows |
| 8708.29 | Other parts and accessories of bodies (including cabs), not seat belts or windows |
| 8708.30 | Brakes and servo-brakes; parts thereof |
| 8708.40 | Gear boxes and parts thereof |
| 8708.50 | Drive-axles with differential, non-driving axles, and parts thereof |
| 8708.70 | Road wheels and parts and accessories thereof |
| 8708.80 | Suspension systems and parts thereof, including shock absorbers |
| 8708.91 | Radiators and parts thereof |
| 8708.92 | Mufflers and exhaust pipes; parts thereof |
| 8708.93 | Clutches and parts thereof |
| 8708.94 | Steering wheels, steering columns and steering boxes; parts thereof |
| 8708.95 | Safety airbags with inflater system; parts thereof |
| 8708.99 | Other parts and accessories, not named above |
The radiator we quoted on our auto parts cost page sits under 8708.91. The pair of struts on the same page splits across 8708.80, since a strut is a suspension part with a shock absorber built in. Neither number changes what the part costs to send domestically, but a customs officer reading a declaration cares about exactly this distinction.
Schedule B against the Harmonized Tariff Schedule
Two different numbering systems share the same first six digits, and mixing them up is the most common mistake on a self-filed declaration.
HTS, for what enters
Ten digits, kept by the US International Trade Commission, used to set the duty rate on goods coming into the United States. A part imported for resale gets classified here instead, at hts.usitc.gov.
The shared six digits
Both systems open with the same international Harmonized System heading, so a part correctly matched to 8708.30 in one system is 8708.30 in the other. It is the last four digits, and the destination country's own tariff schedule, that can diverge.
A wrong code holds the box, it does not stop the sale
Picking 8708.99, the catch-all, for a part that has its own named subheading is the error worth avoiding. A brake caliper filed as 8708.99 general parts, instead of 8708.30 brakes, is close enough that most declarations sail through, but a customs officer who catches the mismatch can hold the parcel for reclassification rather than release it on the spot.
Two categories deserve extra care regardless of the code. An airbag module classifies cleanly under 8708.95, and that classification has nothing to do with whether a carrier will actually carry it: our auto parts shipping page shows one returning no parcel rate at all, because the inflater reads as a hazardous item to the carrier before customs ever sees the paperwork. A used part that has held fuel runs into the same wall for a different reason, described on that same page.
What SMKlog does and does not do here
We sell US domestic parcel labels. Nothing in our checkout writes a customs declaration, a commercial invoice, or an AES entry, and no price on this site covers a parcel once it leaves the country. Classify the part with the Census Bureau's own search tool, confirm the destination country's import code separately, and file the paperwork with whichever carrier actually carries the international leg. Our customs paperwork guide and customs form guide cover the forms themselves in more depth; this page is only about picking the right classification number once the part is known.
Where these facts come from
- US Census Bureau, Schedule B, Chapter 87 — every subheading under heading 8708 listed above. 2026 edition, read 2026-08-21.
- US Census Bureau, Schedule B search tool — where to look up the full 10-digit number for a specific part. Read 2026-08-21.
- International Trade Administration, Harmonized System (HS) Codes — the six-digit international standard both numbering systems share. Read 2026-08-21.
The Schedule B schedule is revised periodically; this page reflects the 2026 edition read on the date shown. Confirm the current edition at census.gov before filing anything.
Common questions
What HS code do I use to ship auto parts internationally?
There is no single code for "auto parts." Heading 8708 covers parts and accessories of motor vehicles and splits into more than a dozen subheadings by what the part actually is: 8708.10 for bumpers, 8708.30 for brakes, 8708.40 for gear boxes, and so on. Pick the subheading that matches the part, not the vehicle it came off.
Is a Schedule B number the same thing as an HTS code?
The first six digits are identical everywhere, because that part of the number is the international Harmonized System. The last four digits diverge: Schedule B is the US Census Bureau's numbering for what leaves the country, and the Harmonized Tariff Schedule is the US International Trade Commission's numbering for what enters it. A US seller shipping out files Schedule B.
What heading covers an airbag module?
8708.95, listed in Census Schedule B chapter 87 as safety airbags with inflater system and parts thereof. Knowing the code does not change what happens next: our own auto parts page shows a driver-side airbag module returning no parcel rate at all, because the carrier treats the inflater as a hazardous item regardless of how the customs paperwork is classified.
Where do I find the exact 10-digit number for my part?
The Census Bureau's Schedule B search tool takes a plain-language description and returns candidate codes with their full wording; read every result before picking one, since two subheadings four digits apart can cover very different parts. A part headed to a specific country may also need that country's own import tariff number, which will not match the US export code past the first six digits.
Does SMKlog file the HS code or the export paperwork for me?
No. Our checkout produces US domestic parcel labels only, so nothing here generates a customs declaration, a commercial invoice, or an AES filing. Classify the part yourself before you print any international label with the carrier directly.