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AHECC 2022 | Export goods and customs

Australian Harmonized Export Commodity Classification

AHECC is the ABS export goods classification. It is used for export documentation and trade statistics, and it tracks the international HS structure with Australian statistical extensions.

Open ABS source Search AHECC

Hierarchy at a glance

Level Code Count Notes
Section 21 sections 21 Broad export commodity families.
Chapter 2 digits 99 HS-based chapters used in the Australian export schedule.
Heading / Code 8 digits 8-digit codes Detailed export commodity coding.

What changed / what to know

  • The 2022 release keeps the Australian export schedule aligned with the international Harmonized System.
  • The structure is maintained as an 8-digit coding system for export declaration and statistical use.
  • Sections and chapters are used for navigation, while the lower levels carry the exact export code.

Parsed from ABS release

AHECC sections

These section cards are generated from the official AHECC 2022 release structure and expose the chapter ranges directly on the site.

I

Live Animals; Animal Products

1-5

 II

Vegetable Products

6-14

 III

Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes

15

 IV

Preprared Foodstuffs; Beverages, Spirits and Vinegar; Tobacco and Manufactured Tobacco Substitutes; Products, Whether or Not Containing Nicotine, Intended for Inhalation Without Combustion; Other Nicotine Containing Products Intended for the Intake of Nicotine Into the Human Body

16-24

 IX

Wood and Articles of Wood; Wood Charcoal; Cork and Articles of Cork; Manufactures of Straw, or Esparto or Other Plaiting Materials; Basketware and Wickerwork

44-46

 V

Mineral Products

25-27

 VI

Products of Chemical or Allied Industries

28-38

 VII

Plastics and Articles Thereof; Rubber and Articles Thereof

39-40

 VIII

Raw Hides and Skins, Leather, Furskins and Articles Thereof; Saddlery and Harness; Travel Goods, Handbags and Similar Containers; Articles of Animal Gut (Other Than Silk-Worm Gut)

41-43

 X

Pulp of Wood or of Other Fibrous Cellulosic Material; Waste and Scrap of Paper or Paperboard; Paper and Paperboard and Articles Thereof

47-49

 XI

Textiles and Textile Articles

50-63

 XII

Footwear, Headgear, Umbrellas, Sun Umbrellas, Walking-Sticks, Seat-Sticks, Whips, Riding-Crops and Part Thereof; Prepared Feathers and Articles Made Therewith; Artificial Flowers; Articles of Human Hair

64-67

 XIII

Section 13 – Articles of Stone, Plaster, Cement, Asbestos, Mica or Similar Materials; Ceramic Products; Glass and Glassware

68-70

 XIV

Natural or Cultured Pearls, Precious or Semi-Precious Stones, Precious Metals, Metals Clad with Precious Metal, and Articles Thereof; Imitation Jewellery; Coin

71

 XIX

Arms and Ammunition; Parts and Accessories Thereof

93

 XV

Base Metals and Articles of Base Metal

72-83

 XVI

Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Electrical Equipment; Parts Thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of Such Articles

84-85

 XVII

Vehicles, Aircraft, Vessels and Associated Transport Equipment

86-89

 XVIII

Optical, Photographic, Cinematographic, Measuring, Checking, Precision, Medical or Surgical Instruments and Apparatus; Clocks and Watches; Musical Instruments; Parts and Accessories Thereof

90-92

 XX

Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles

94-96

 XXI

Works or Art, Collectors' Pieces and Antiques

97-99

How AHECC is used

AHECC is the Australian layer on top of the Harmonized System. It is the classification exporters, customs brokers and freight forwarders use when preparing export declarations and reading export statistics.

The 2022 release keeps the commodity schedule aligned with current Australian export practice. Use the code page when you need an export code, not when you are classifying a business.

Scope and boundary notes

  • Used for export declarations, customs processing and trade statistics.
  • Built on top of the international Harmonized System with Australian statistical extensions.
  • This is an export classification only; import coding follows customs tariff rules instead.
  • The ABS release supports both coding and reference lookups for exporters and brokers.

Frequently asked questions

What does the AHECC classify?

AHECC classifies exported goods. It is the ABS product classification for export documentation and trade statistics.

Why does AHECC use eight digits?

The first six digits align with the international Harmonized System. The final two digits add Australian statistical detail.

Is AHECC for imports too?

No. AHECC is for exports. Imports use the Customs Tariff / Working Tariff system.

Source and trust

Official AHECC source
ABS AHECC 2022
Last reviewed
2026-04-18

This page is an independent reference summary. For exact export coding, verify against the ABS release and customs guidance.

Please verify critical classification decisions with the official authority before using them for tax, payroll, licensing, immigration or compliance work.

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Why it matters

Export coding needs precision

AHECC gives exporters and brokers a stable way to identify goods in declarations and reporting systems. The code choice affects downstream customs and trade statistics.

Boundary notes

Not an industry code

AHECC classifies goods, not businesses. If you are classifying a business activity, use ANZSIC or the related ATO code paths instead.