Terms and conditions
This page explains the Online Trade Tariff service’s terms of use. You must agree to these to use the service.
Key points summary
This is a quick guide. You should still read the full terms and conditions below.
- You are responsible for using the correct commodity codes and complying with customs rules.
- The law takes priority over any information in the Online Trade Tariff.
- Notifications such as Stop Press are for information only — you must still check and act on any relevant changes.
- If you use the Trade Tariff APIs, you must follow published guidance and usage limits.
- We will give at least 6 months’ notice of major or breaking changes to stable APIs, unless urgent changes are needed for security, legal or operational reasons.
- We collect and process your personal data in line with the Online Trade Tariff Privacy Notice, including information provided in customer support enquiries.
- HMRC may change or withdraw services when needed for legal, security or operational reasons.
- These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
Who we are
The Online Trade Tariff service (“Service”) is operated by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). We will refer to HMRC as ‘we’ from now on.
Using the Online Trade Tariff
You agree to use the service only for lawful purposes. You must use it in a way that does not infringe the rights of, or restrict or inhibit the use and enjoyment of, this site by anyone else.
We update the service regularly and may change or remove content at any time without notice.
Scope of the service
The service includes, but is not limited to:
- the Online Trade Tariff browsing platform at trade-tariff.service.gov.uk
- subscription-based tariff notifications such as Stop Press
- Trade Tariff APIs, including (but not limited to) the Commodities API, the Categorisation API, and the Fast Parcel Operator (FPO) Commodity Code Identification Tool API
- any additional services made available through the Online Trade Tariff in the future
Some services may require you to register, create an account, or provide personal or business information.
Accuracy of information
The Service provides tariff data and tools for reference only. We make every effort to ensure the information we provide is accurate, but the applicable UK legislation always takes precedence.
You are responsible for:
- verifying the accuracy of commodity codes and trade data before using them in customs declarations or other processes
- complying with customs requirements
- paying any applicable duties
Failure to use correct codes may result in penalties, delayed clearance, or seizure of goods.
Tariff Notifications
If you subscribe to tariff notifications, you agree that:
- notifications are provided for convenience and may not include every relevant update
- delivery times are not guaranteed
- you remain responsible for checking and acting on relevant changes
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe at any time using the links in notification emails.
Using Trade Tariff APIs
By using the Trade Tariff APIs, you agree to:
- follow any published technical specifications, usage limits and guidance
- use the APIs only for lawful purposes related to customs and trade
- avoid any use that could damage, disable or compromise the service or HMRC systems
For stable APIs, we will give at least 6 months’ notice of any major or breaking changes that require you to update your systems. This notice period does not apply where changes are required urgently for security, legal or operational reasons.
Security and acceptable use
You must not:
- introduce viruses, trojans or malicious code into the service
- try to gain unauthorised access to the service or related systems
- use automated tools to extract or scrape data outside permitted use limits
We follow government security guidelines and will report suspected criminal activity to law enforcement.
Data and privacy
We collect and process information in line with the Online Trade Tariff Privacy Notice and UK data protection law. This may include:
- contact details for notifications
- service usage logs (including API requests)
- personal information you provide when contacting us for customer support or enquiries, such as your name, contact details and details of your enquiry
Your data will be used only to provide, operate and support the service, including responding to your enquiries.
Service changes and availability
We may change, suspend or withdraw parts of the service for legal, security or operational reasons.
For registered or subscribed services, we will notify you of:
- material changes that affect your use of the service
- planned service withdrawal or replacement
- major changes to these terms that alter your rights or obligations
Changes to these terms
We can update these terms at any time. We will notify registered users of significant changes where they:
- affect how we process your data
- alter your rights or obligations under the service
- require changes to your systems or processes
Continued use of the service after updates means you accept the new terms.
Liability
We do not guarantee that the service will always be available, uninterrupted or error-free. We are not liable for:
- losses or penalties arising from reliance solely on the service
- business costs from misclassification, missed updates or integration changes
- damage caused by third-party sites or tools linked to from the service
We remain liable for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability that cannot be excluded by law.
Governing law
These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
Any dispute you have which relates to these terms, or your use of the service (whether contractual or non-contractual), will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
Contact us
For general enquiries or support, email: tariff.management@hmrc.gov.uk
When you contact us, we will collect and process your personal information in line with the Online Trade Tariff Privacy Notice. This includes the information you provide in your enquiry, which will be used only for the purposes of responding to and managing your request.