The World Customs Organization (WCO) has formally accepted the HS 2028 amendments, marking a major update to the Harmonized System (HS), the globally used goods classification standard that underpins customs tariffs, trade reporting and international trade statistics. These amendments reflect evolving global trade patterns, technological developments and emerging regulatory needs and will take effect on 1 January 2028 after a two-year implementation period to allow WCO Members to prepare.
In total, the HS 2028 edition includes 299 sets of changes, resulting in a nomenclature with 1,229 headings and 5,852 subheadings. Compared to the HS 2022 edition, the update adds six new headings and 428 new subheadings while removing five headings and 172 subheadings. The revisions are designed to enhance the system’s responsiveness to critical and emerging global issues.
A central focus of HS 2028 is public health preparedness. New subheadings have been introduced to improve the visibility of essential health-related products, such as ambulances, protective equipment, ventilators and diagnostic devices, addressing lessons learned from recent health emergencies. The update also restructures how vaccines are classified by creating separate headings for human and other vaccines, which will improve transparency of vaccine trade flows and support global immunization efforts.
The amendments also strengthen the classification of environmental and waste-related products, aligning plastic waste categories with international conventions to assist pollution-reduction policies and circular economy efforts. Other changes address societal protection, enforcement priorities and technological change, with targeted clarifications to foster more consistent interpretation and application of the HS worldwide.
During the implementation period, the WCO and its Members will work on correlation tables, updated tools, capacity-building and national legal and system updates to ensure a smooth transition to HS 2028.
The following is the full media announcement on the HS 2028 amendments issued under WCO: