UK Trade Tariff API

Free UK Trade Tariff API with no key: look up any commodity code for duty rates, import measures, VAT treatment, quotas and the full goods nomenclature tree. Tested example.

No API key requiredCORS enabledHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 2026-08-21

What is the UK Trade Tariff API?

The UK Trade Tariff service publishes commodity codes, duty rates and import and export measures as a free JSON:API with no key. A ten-digit commodity code returns its description, duties, measures and place in the nomenclature.

Every physical good crossing the UK border has a ten-digit commodity code, and that code determines the duty, the VAT treatment and which licences or restrictions apply. This API is the machine-readable form of the official tariff, which means an import cost calculation can be built against the same data a customs declaration is checked against rather than a scraped copy of it.

The response is JSON:API, so the commodity object holds mostly attributes and identifiers while the substance — duty measures, footnotes, geographical areas, section and chapter — sits in `relationships` and must be resolved against the `included` array. A `basic_duty_rate` of null does not mean duty-free: it means the applicable rate is expressed as a measure rather than a single headline number. Codes are also time-bound, with `validity_start_date` and `validity_end_date` marking when a code was in force.

Quick facts

Base URL: https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/api/v2
Authentication: No key or registration. Published by HMRC as part of the UK Trade Tariff service.
Rate limit: No documented limit. The tariff changes on defined dates rather than continuously.
Pricing: Free.
CORS: Enabled — callable directly from browser JavaScript
Official docs: Read the docs

How to use the UK Trade Tariff API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 2026-08-21, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. UK commodity code 0101210000 with its duty measures

GET https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/api/v2/commodities/0101210000

curl

curl 'https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/api/v2/commodities/0101210000'

JavaScript (fetch)

const res = await fetch("https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/api/v2/commodities/0101210000");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);

Python (requests)

import requests

res = requests.get("https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/api/v2/commodities/0101210000", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())

Response — HTTP 200

{
  "data": {
    "id": "93796",
    "type": "commodity",
    "attributes": {
      "producline_suffix": "80",
      "description": "Pure-bred breeding animals",
      "number_indents": 2,
      "goods_nomenclature_item_id": "0101210000",
      "bti_url": "https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-what-youll-need-to-get-a-legally-binding-decision-on-a-commodity-code",
      "formatted_description": "Pure-bred breeding animals",
      "description_plain": "Pure-bred breeding animals",
      "consigned": false,
      "consigned_from": null,
      "basic_duty_rate": null,
      "meursing_code": false,
      "validity_start_date": "2012-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
      "validity_end_date": null,
      "has_chemicals": false,
      "declarable": true
    },
    "relationships": {
      "footnotes": {
        "data": [
          {
            "id": "NC018",
            "type": "footnote"
          },
          {
            "id": "TN701",
            "type": "footnote"
          }
        ]
      },
      "section": {
        "data": {
          "id": "1",
          "type": "section"
        }
      },
      "chapter": {
        "data": {
          "id": "27623",
          "type": "chapter"
        }
      },
      "heading": {
        "data": {
          "id": "27624",
          "type": "heading"
        }
      },
      "ancestors": {
        "data": [
          {
            "id": "93797",
            "type": "commodity"
          }
        ]
      },
      "import_measures": {
        "data": [
          {
            "id": "20000000",
            "type": "measure"
          },

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`/commodities/{code}`	path	Required	Ten-digit commodity code. `0101210000`
`as_of`	query	Optional	Date in `YYYY-MM-DD` to see the tariff as it stood then. `2026-01-01`
`/headings/{code}`	path	Optional	Four-digit heading, for browsing down the nomenclature. `0101`
`/sections \| /chapters`	path	Optional	Top levels of the goods classification tree.
`/search`	path	Optional	Free-text search across commodity descriptions.

Response fields

data.attributes.goods_nomenclature_item_idstring: The ten-digit commodity code itself.
data.attributes.description / formatted_descriptionstring: Official description, plain and with markup.
data.attributes.basic_duty_ratestring|null: Headline duty rate where one exists. Null means duty is expressed through measures instead — not that it is zero.
data.attributes.declarableboolean: Whether this code can be used on a declaration, or is only a classification level.
data.attributes.validity_start_date / validity_end_datestring: When the code came into force and, if applicable, when it ceased.
data.attributes.number_indentsinteger: Depth in the nomenclature tree, which drives indentation in a browse UI.
data.relationships.footnotes / section / measuresobject: References into the `included` array holding the real substance.
included[]array: Resolved measures, duty expressions, geographical areas and footnotes.

What you can build with the UK Trade Tariff API

Calculate import duty and VAT for a product before shipping
Validate a commodity code supplied by a supplier
Browse the goods nomenclature to classify a new product
Check the tariff as it stood on a past date with `as_of`

Common errors and how to fix them

404 not found

The commodity code does not exist or is not declarable at that length.

Fix: Codes are ten digits with no spaces. Some classification levels are browse-only; check `declarable`.

Duty appears to be zero

`basic_duty_rate` is null.

Fix: Null means the rate is expressed as measures in `included`, not that the good is duty-free. Resolve the relationships.

Historical lookup returns current data

`as_of` was omitted.

Fix: Without it you get today's tariff. Codes and rates change on defined dates and the API can serve either.

UK Trade Tariff API — frequently asked questions

Is the UK Trade Tariff API free?

Yes. HMRC publishes commodity codes, duty rates and import measures openly with no key or registration.

What is a commodity code?

A ten-digit classification for a physical good, applied when it crosses the UK border. The code determines the duty rate, the VAT treatment and any licences or restrictions that apply, so classifying a product wrongly changes what you owe.

Why is basic_duty_rate null?

Because the applicable duty is expressed as one or more measures rather than a single headline rate. Resolve `relationships.measures` against the `included` array to see the real treatment.

Can I look up the tariff as it was last year?

Yes. Pass `as_of` with a date and the API returns the classification and measures in force then, which matters when checking a historical declaration.

Tools that pair with this API

VAT Calculator

Add VAT to a net price or extract VAT from a gross amount. Preset 5%, 10%, 20% and 23% rates plus custom, showing net, VAT and gross values instantly.

Margin & Markup Calculator

Calculate profit margin, markup and profit from cost and selling price, or find the price for a target margin. Ideal for pricing products and quotes.

JSON Path Finder

Evaluate a dot/bracket path against your JSON and list every leaf path for discovery. Free online JSON path finder that runs 100% in your browser.

UK Trade Tariff is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 2026-08-21; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.