HTS MCP
Tariff classification infrastructure for the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Find the right HTS code, then back it up with the notes, exclusions, and CBP ruling precedent behind it. Available through MCP, REST, and CLI.
What is HTS?
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is the United States’ system for classifying imported goods and determining applicable tariff rates. It contains approximately 13,000 8-digit codes organized in a 4-level hierarchy:
- Chapter (2 digits): 98 chapters covering broad commodity groups
- Heading (4 digits): subdivisions within each chapter
- Subheading (6 digits): international standard level (HS6)
- Statistical suffix (8 digits): US-specific tariff line
What is HTS MCP?
HTS MCP is a full-stack tariff intelligence platform that provides:
- Semantic Search: natural language search using OpenAI embeddings with hybrid scoring
- AI Enrichment: AI-generated descriptions, keywords, and exclusionary terms for 6-digit codes
- Knowledge Graph: semantic relationships between tariff codes classified by an LLM into 10 relationship types
- Code References: cross-references extracted from tariff descriptions
- Policy Resources: curated collection of trade policy documents from USTR, CBP, Wikipedia, and more
Three Interfaces
| Interface | Protocol | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| MCP Tools | Model Context Protocol | AI assistant integration (Claude, Cursor) |
| REST API | HTTP/JSON | Web applications, scripts, programmatic access |
| CLI | Command line | Data pipeline management, database operations |
Quick Links
- Getting Started: installation and setup
- For Humans: understanding HTS codes and tariff rates
- For LLMs: MCP tool calling patterns for AI agents
- Data Model: HTS hierarchy and data structure
- Semantic Graph: interactive relationship visualization
- Architecture: system design and internals