Clearsource — EU public data APIs

Guide · last verified 2026-10-10

How to find the CN code of a product (EU Combined Nomenclature 2026)

Short answer: the CN (Combined Nomenclature) is the EU's 8-digit goods code, built on the first 6 digits of the international HS. You find a product's code by walking the tree: section, chapter, heading, subheading, and reading each description together with its parents. You can browse it for free in the official data, or look up and keyword-search CN 2026 as JSON with the Clearsource EU CN codes actor on Apify. What you get are candidate codes; for legal certainty you ask the customs authority for binding tariff information (BTI).

What the CN is

CN 2026 is the version in force during 2026. The dataset we use is based on Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1926 of 22 September 2025, published in the Official Journal on 31 October 2025, which amends Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 (EUR-Lex, opened 2026-10-10). A new CN applies each year; CN 2027 applies from 1 January 2027, so recheck your codes then. Only the Official Journal text is authentic.

Steps

  1. Describe the product by what it is and what it does (material, function, form), not by trade name. Keyword search matches the official words, so "laptop" finds nothing while "portable data-processing machines" finds a code.
  2. Search. Open EU CN codes on the Apify Store and run a search: 
    { "mode": "search", "query": "roasted coffee", "language": "en", "maxResults": 20 }
    Languages are en, ro and de.
  3. Read the hierarchy. Look up a candidate to see its parents: { "mode": "lookup", "codes": ["0901 21 00"] }. Descriptions such as "Other" only make sense under their parents.
  4. Browse neighbours with { "mode": "children", "codes": ["0901"] } to compare alternatives.
  5. Check the official text and, if the code matters for duties or legal exposure, apply for BTI.

What a record looks like

Lookup of 0901 21 00 (shortened from the README example, bundled official dataset modified 2026-02-18):

{
  "record_type": "cn-code",
  "result_kind": "exact",
  "cn_version": "CN 2026",
  "cn_code": "0901 21 00",
  "level": "cn_subheading",
  "description": { "en": "Not decaffeinated", "ro": "Nedecafeinizată", "de": "nicht entkoffeiniert" },
  "self_explanatory_text": { "en": "Roasted coffee (excl. decaffeinated)" },
  "path": [
    { "cn_code": "II", "level": "section", "description_en": "SECTION II - VEGETABLE PRODUCTS" },
    { "cn_code": "09", "level": "chapter", "description_en": "CHAPTER 9 - COFFEE, TEA, MATÉ AND SPICES" },
    { "cn_code": "0901", "level": "heading", "description_en": "Coffee, whether or not roasted or decaffeinated; ..." },
    { "cn_code": null, "level": "grouping", "description_en": "Coffee, roasted" }
  ],
  "disclaimer": "Candidate codes for information only — not a customs classification decision or binding tariff information. Only the Official Journal text is authentic. Not affiliated with the European Union.",
  "provenance": { "licence": { "id": "EC-Decision-2011-833" }, "record_hash": "sha256:9ba3bc17..." }
}

Search results carry result_kind: "candidate" and a match_score from 0 to 1 that says how well the words match, not how likely the code is correct.

Limits

  • Candidate codes only; this is not a customs classification decision.
  • CN 2026 only. No duty rates, quotas, TARIC measures, legal notes or explanatory notes.
  • Keyword matching, not AI classification. Trade names often fail.
  • The data is a snapshot of the official file; later corrections arrive only after a rebuild.

Price (Apify README of 2026-10-10): $0.0005 per code result, plus Apify's start event (by default $0.00005 per run). Not-found rows, dry runs and invalid input are free. The data is bundled, so there is no network call at run time. If you also need VAT rates by CN code see the EU VAT rates guide; for public-procurement categories (a different code list) see the CPV guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between HS, CN and TARIC codes?

The HS is the international 6-digit system. The CN adds two digits (8 in total) for EU purposes. TARIC adds further digits for EU measures; the actor looks up a 10-digit code by its first 8 digits and says so in note.

How do I get legal certainty about a code?

Apply for binding tariff information (BTI) from the customs authority of your Member State. It is the official route; the Commission publishes decisions in the public EBTI database and describes the procedure there (page found 2026-10-10). Applications are made to the customs authority of a Member State; check its current process.

Is CN the same as the CPV code used in tenders?

No. CPV classifies what public buyers purchase; CN classifies goods for customs and trade statistics.

Is this an official service?

No. It is not affiliated with the European Union, Eurostat or the Publications Office.

Sources

Information only, not customs or legal advice. Terms: terms of use.