Start with two separate checks.
To audit HS codes and country of origin in Shopify, first check whether each relevant product variant has a value. Then check whether you have evidence for that value. Keep those results separate: filling a blank field completes a data entry task, but does not settle a classification or origin question.
An HS code describes the product for international trade. The usual six-digit code can have more detailed country-specific classifications. Shopify describes country of origin as where the product is made or assembled into its sold form and takes on its classification. Use that distinction to frame your supplier questions; do not infer origin from the address of your warehouse or the supplier’s sales office.
Field definitions: Shopify’s HS code and origin guidance. An uncertain classification or origin needs a decision based on your goods and destination.
Before opening the editor, choose a review owner and create a working record. Useful columns are product, variant, current HS code, current origin, evidence, review status, owner and next action. Add destination-specific codes separately so your team can see which value it is reviewing. Keep the original values available for comparison.
Where to add HS codes and country of origin in Shopify.
Review one product first
Open Products in Shopify admin and select the item. In itsShipping section, check that it is marked as a physical product, then open the customs fields. Select the country of origin and enter the HS code. Shopify also offers code search using a product description and an option to add codes by country or region. Confirm the edit using the controls shown in your admin.
Use the bulk editor for reviewed codes
From Products, select the products and choose Bulk edit. Open Columns, find Shipping and selectHarmonized system code. Enter the reviewed values and save. Reopen a sample of the changed products to check the result.
Workflow: Shopify’s guide to adding HS codes. Use the linked instructions if the labels in your admin differ.
Use the customs CSV for a larger review
Shopify documents a dedicated duties and import taxes CSV. UnderSettings → Taxes and duties, open Manage in the duties section, then Product information → Update with CSV. Export the file, edit the HS code and origin values, and import it through the same workflow. Keep the export as your baseline and work in a separate copy.
CSV workflow: Shopify’s duties and import taxes guide. This CSV has a specific customs-data purpose; follow its documented columns.
A REPEATABLE REVIEW
Five checks for your Shopify catalog.
Work through these steps with your product and fulfillment teams. The boxes are a reading aid: ticks are not saved and do not indicate customs approval. Keep your actual evidence and decisions in your team’s working record.
Check the saved data, then the shipping handoff.
After editing, inspect examples from each group you changed. Include a product with several variants, one with newly supplied origin information, and any item with a destination-specific code. Compare the saved fields against your approved working record. In a spreadsheet, preserve codes as text so formatting does not remove leading zeros.
Next, follow a representative product into your shipping workflow. Ask the provider which Shopify field it reads, whether it applies an override, and where you can inspect the outgoing customs data. Compare the received values with the reviewed catalog values. Record a discrepancy with the specific product and destination so it can be reproduced. Inspecting a label alone may leave questions about the electronic data unanswered.
For example, a shirt available in two materials deserves two review rows even if both variants currently show the same code. If one supplier confirmation covers only the cotton version, mark the other version as awaiting evidence. Do not use a completed product-level checkbox to close both records.
If your review also covers product references for EU shipments, work through theEU product identifier checklist. Record merchant, supplier and standardized identifiers alongside the customs data, with their own evidence and shipping-field checks.
Common audit questions.
Does a default country of origin complete the audit?
Shopify can use a store default for duty calculations when an individual product has no assigned origin. Review that default under Settings → Taxes and duties, in the Customs information menu. Then identify the products relying on it and confirm whether it fits each one. Treat a fallback value as a review prompt, not evidence about how a product was made.
Default behavior: Shopify’s market duties and taxes settings.
Can we copy one HS code across a collection?
Review the product facts first. A collection groups products for your store; use your classification evidence to decide which items can share a code. If you cannot explain why the same classification fits an item, leave it on the exception list for review.
How often should we repeat the review?
Tie it to changes your team already manages: new products, new variants, supplier changes, revised materials and new destinations. Add a customs-data checkpoint to product onboarding and repeat the handoff check when you change a shipping integration. Give unresolved records a next review date so they do not disappear between catalog updates.
GO TO THE SOURCE
Keep the Shopify instructions close.
- Adding HS codes to your products
Product fields, country-specific codes and the bulk editor.
- Collecting international duties and import taxes
Customs field definitions and the dedicated CSV workflow.
- Setting up duties and taxes for markets
Origin defaults and the related Shopify settings.
Sources reviewed on . Shopify can change its admin and documentation; this review date does not update automatically.
ShipDeclare is in development. This checklist can be used with your existing Shopify workflow today. This guide does not determine the classification or origin of particular goods, or guarantee customs clearance. Resolve product-specific questions with your customs representative.