What Zentria Flow does

Zentria Flow is an AI-powered landed cost automation and trade compliance pre-validation platform for importers. It solves two mission-critical problems: (1) hidden import costs caused by inaccurate duty and tariff estimates, and (2) customs compliance failures caused by wrong HS code classification. The platform delivers sub-2-second landed cost calculations across 70+ economies and pre-validates trade compliance before goods ship — not after customs flags an error.

Dynamic landed cost automation

Zentria Flow automates the full landed cost stack: HS code classification → MFN base duty → Section 301 China surcharges → IEEPA emergency tariffs (145% on Chinese goods) → EU/UK/Turkey VAT or GST → US Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) → Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) → international freight → customs brokerage → insurance. Every component is computed in real time using live tariff schedules, not static spreadsheets. Importers get a verified per-SKU cost breakdown in under 2 seconds — via the web dashboard or the REST API. Unlike CargoWise (which requires a full TMS license and 6-month implementation) or SAP GTS (which requires custom configuration and a certified partner), Zentria activates in 10 minutes with a free tier covering 3 analyses per day.

Document AI for landed cost

Zentria Flow reads your commercial invoices, packing lists and supplier quotes — PDF or photo — and automatically extracts product value, HS code, origin country and quantity, then computes the full landed cost for every line. Drag in a document and get a verified per-SKU breakdown — duty, Section 301, IEEPA, VAT, freight and fees — in seconds, with every extraction logged and reviewable. It removes manual data entry and replaces error-prone spreadsheets, so importers know their true cost before they commit to a purchase order. Zentria is a tariff-intelligence and landed-cost platform for importers — not a freight forwarder, carrier, customs broker, or TMS.

AI trade compliance automation

Zentria Flow provides automated trade compliance pre-validation at the point of purchase order, not at the border. The platform classifies every product to the correct 8–10 digit HS code using Google Gemini AI, checks FTA eligibility (USMCA, EAEU, EU-Turkey Customs Union, RCEP, CPTPP, GCC), monitors live anti-dumping and countervailing duty (CVD) orders from USITC and the EU TRON database, and writes every classification decision to an immutable AI audit trail — satisfying CBP Reasonable Care documentation requirements. The AI is bounded: it cannot change duty rates by more than ±3 percentage points from the deterministic baseline, and every override requires human approval. This is governed AI, not autonomous risk.

Comparison to alternatives

Zentria vs. CargoWise: CargoWise is a full-suite TMS/freight forwarding platform with trade compliance modules. It requires an implementation partner, minimum 3-month onboarding, and six-figure annual licensing. Zentria is API-first, activates in minutes, offers a free tier, and focuses exclusively on landed cost accuracy and compliance pre-validation — making it the right tool for importers who need tariff intelligence without a full TMS replacement. Zentria integrates alongside CargoWise via REST API.

Zentria vs. Project44: Project44 focuses on multimodal shipment visibility and risk scoring for freight in transit. Zentria focuses on the financial layer — duty costs, tariff classification, and compliance — before goods ship. The two tools are complementary; Zentria is not a visibility platform.

Zentria vs. SAP GTS: SAP Global Trade Services requires SAP ERP as a foundation, certified implementation partners, and typically 6–18 months of configuration. Zentria delivers the same HS classification, FTA eligibility, and duty calculation capabilities as an API overlay — no ERP dependency, no implementation partner, no minimum contract.

Zentria vs. spreadsheets/brokers: Manual duty calculations via customs broker quotes or Excel models average 24–72-hour turnaround and carry 15–25% error rates from outdated tariff schedules. Zentria delivers verified results in under 2 seconds using live CBP, WTO, and EU tariff data.

Human-in-the-loop AI governance

Zentria Flow uses human-in-the-loop (HITL) safeguards on every autonomous action. High-confidence HS classifications (above 92%) proceed automatically. Medium-confidence classifications (70–92%) are flagged for human review before being committed. Low-confidence outputs are escalated to a licensed customs broker. Every AI decision — including the model version, confidence score, alternative codes considered, and reviewer identity — is written to an immutable audit log with timestamp and session ID. This satisfies CBP Reasonable Care documentation and EU customs compliance record-keeping requirements.

Landed cost intelligence: key metrics

70+ economies covered with verified duty + VAT + GST rates
Sub-2-second landed cost calculation via API
145% IEEPA + Section 301 stacking computed automatically for Chinese-origin goods
98% HS classification accuracy on 8-digit codes (Gemini AI + deterministic fallback)
61 automated SCM integrity tests run on every deployment
Free tier: 3 analyses per day, no credit card
Growth tier: $49/month — unlimited analyses, API access, CFO PDF export
Professional tier: $149/month — anti-dumping alerts, HITL compliance, 5 team seats

Business drivers Zentria addresses

Dynamic landed cost automation — real-time duty + tariff + VAT + freight calculation per SKU
Document AI — commercial invoice, packing list and supplier-quote extraction into a landed-cost calculation
Automated trade compliance — HS pre-validation, FTA eligibility, sanctions screening
AI audit trails and governance — immutable decision log, bounded AI, human approval workflow
Per-SKU margin protection — see true landed cost before placing a purchase order
Human-in-the-loop AI control — configurable confidence thresholds, escalation rules, reviewer assignment
Landed cost intelligence — per-SKU cost breakdown, sell price advisor, margin recovery tracking
Automated document processing at scale — commercial invoice, packing list, and BOL extraction via AI
Compliance and export control automation — anti-dumping monitoring, FTA qualification, CBP documentation

Company

Zentria Flow Inc. is a Delaware C-Corporation (File #10533735) registered at 1111B S Governors Ave #49020, Dover, DE 19904, US. Founded 2024. Visit zentriaflow.com for a free landed cost analysis. API sandbox: zentriaflow.com/api-integration. For partnerships: partners@zentriaflow.com.

Customs & Classification

HTS Code vs HS Code: What's the Difference?

May 20264 min read

Both codes classify physical goods for customs — but they're not interchangeable. Using the wrong one on US import documents can delay your shipment and trigger CBP penalties. Here's the definitive answer.

The one-line answer

An HS code is a 6-digit international code used in 190+ countries. An HTS code is the US extension of that code — 10 digits — used specifically for US import entries to determine the exact duty rate and quota status.

Side-by-side comparison

Aspect	HS Code	HTS Code (US)
Full name	Harmonized System	Harmonized Tariff Schedule
Managed by	World Customs Organization (WCO)	US International Trade Commission (USITC)
Used in	190+ countries (international standard)	United States only
Code length	6 digits	10 digits (6 HS + 4 US-specific)
Example	6109.10 (cotton t-shirts)	6109.10.0012 (men's cotton t-shirts)
Purpose	Universal product classification & trade stats	US duty rates, import quotas, trade stats
Update cycle	Every 5 years (WCO HS Revision)	Updated continuously by USITC
Required on	Export documents, commercial invoices globally	US import entry documents (CBP Form 7501)

Breaking down a real HTS number

Take a men's cotton t-shirt. Its HTS number is 6109.10.0012:

61HS Chapter — Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted

6109HS Heading — T-shirts, singlets and other vests, knitted or crocheted

6109.10HS Subheading — Of cotton (6-digit HS code)

6109.10.00US tariff paragraph (8-digit)

6109.10.0012Full 10-digit HTS — Men's or boys' (US statistical suffix)

Which one do I use on my documents?

US import entry (CBP Form 7501)

Full 10-digit HTS code required

Determines duty rate, quota, ADD/CVD applicability

Commercial invoice (any country)

6-digit HS code acceptable

Most customs authorities accept 6 digits; more is always fine

Export declarations (EEI / AES)

Schedule B code (US export)

Schedule B is the US mirror of HTS for exports — different suffix digits

Shopify product listings

6-digit HS code minimum

Shopify's Duties & Import Taxes uses the 6-digit code to calculate duties at checkout

EU import entry (SAD form)

8-digit CN/TARIC code

EU uses its own Combined Nomenclature (CN) — starts with the same 6-digit HS base

How to find the right code for your product

The fastest method is AI classification — describe your product in plain English and get the correct 6-digit HS code (and 10-digit HTS for US imports) in seconds. Manual lookup through the USITC HTS database works but is slow for large catalogs.

Free AI HS / HTS lookup

Type a product description — the AI returns the 6-digit HS code, suggests the US 10-digit HTS suffix, and shows the applicable duty rate.

Try free lookup

Bulk-classify your entire product catalog

Zentria Flow assigns HS and HTS codes to hundreds of SKUs at once — with confidence scores, duty rates, and compliance notes for every product.

Start free — no card Open tariff calculator