> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developer.esw.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://developer.esw.com/customs-catalog-api/customs-catalog-api/overview.md).

# Overview

The Customs Catalog API ingests retailer product catalogs, classifies items using Harmonized System (HS) codes, and serves per-product duty and VAT rates to downstream checkout and shipment systems.

Use the Customs Catalog API to share your product catalog with ESW. ESW uses this data to calculate duties and taxes at checkout. It also supports customs compliance for cross-border shipments.

{% hint style="info" %}
For catalog file integration, see [catalog file](/integrations/catalog-file-integration.md) to send your product master data to ESW.
{% endhint %}

### What this API does

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden>Description</th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th><th data-hidden data-card-cover-dark data-type="image">Cover image (dark)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Catalog Ingestion</td><td>Accept catalogs via JSON API or file upload. Validate fields.</td><td><a href="/files/zwGoSGFxTkZCZIRSqiZM">/files/zwGoSGFxTkZCZIRSqiZM</a></td><td><a href="/files/rgW4tWSLGtEYDRCwqT7z">/files/rgW4tWSLGtEYDRCwqT7z</a></td></tr><tr><td>HS Classification</td><td>Map each product to a Harmonized System tariff code. </td><td><a href="/files/UE6k8rbxD89bYf15MLqP">/files/UE6k8rbxD89bYf15MLqP</a></td><td><a href="/files/Fh12CkDymYQIsn4TQ5ca">/files/Fh12CkDymYQIsn4TQ5ca</a></td></tr><tr><td>Duty &#x26; VAT Lookup</td><td>Return applicable duty rates, VAT rates, and additional tariffs.</td><td><a href="/files/l8bGtHtE2vhz06OIKnWa">/files/l8bGtHtE2vhz06OIKnWa</a></td><td><a href="/files/bJrxNOsXePlzqtyB5xGJ">/files/bJrxNOsXePlzqtyB5xGJ</a></td></tr><tr><td>Error Management</td><td>Surface invalid, incomplete, or unclassified products via dashboard and file export. </td><td><a href="/files/ZylivG9J4TJpLSNSKFQP">/files/ZylivG9J4TJpLSNSKFQP</a></td><td><a href="/files/GxcoqS29mQxCsmV2AkXT">/files/GxcoqS29mQxCsmV2AkXT</a></td></tr><tr><td>VAT Configuration</td><td>Manage country-level and sub-region VAT rates with band-based rules.</td><td><a href="/files/dQSd4CjMFhZiSwkjBsQH">/files/dQSd4CjMFhZiSwkjBsQH</a></td><td><a href="/files/TvZlKadu72zTi5g5aBH7">/files/TvZlKadu72zTi5g5aBH7</a></td></tr><tr><td>Duty Rules</td><td>Define additional duty rules by country, HS code, and origin.</td><td><a href="/files/Ko5zsscARlYYMAyukjYT">/files/Ko5zsscARlYYMAyukjYT</a></td><td><a href="/files/8KG83O7eOjdVUJigBS3X">/files/8KG83O7eOjdVUJigBS3X</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

### Catalog basics

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="What’s in a catalog" %}
A catalog is the product dataset you share with ESW.

Each record usually represents one product or variant.

Typical fields include:

* Product code
* Name
* Description
* Material
* Country of origin
* HS code
* HS code region

You can also send category, size, gender, age group, product URLs, image URLs, and extra identifiers.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Why it matters" %}
Catalog data drives duty and tax calculation at checkout.

It also supports classification and customs compliance.

Good catalog data helps you:

* Improve duty and VAT accuracy
* Reduce invalid or unclassified products
* Avoid customs delays
* Keep shopper pricing consistent
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="How it works" %}
The Customs Catalog API processes uploads asynchronously.

1. Send a full catalog during onboarding.
2. Send only new or changed items after that.
3. ESW validates the payload and accepts the request.
4. Products are processed, classified, and enriched.
5. Invalid products are surfaced for review and reprocessing.

Processing continues after the request is accepted. For more information, refer to [How it Works.](/customs-catalog-api/customs-catalog-api/how-it-works.md)
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}


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