Search Mercosur NCM codes by code or description.
NCM (Nomenclatura Comum do Mercosul, the Mercosur Common Nomenclature) is central to tax operations, invoicing, customs routines and foreign trade in Brazil. It has 8 digits: the first 6 come from the international Harmonized System (chapter, heading and subheading) and the last 2 are the Mercosur regional breakdown. This tool searches NCM through BrasilAPI, accepting a search by exact code or by description, and returns the code, the official description and, when available, the validity period and the corresponding legal act. Because it is so widely used, many people search for what the code means, whether every product needs one, how it differs from CNAE and what happens when classification is wrong. This section answers those practical questions while reinforcing that classification starts from the actual product, not the commercial name, and that sensitive cases require specialized validation.
An NCM is written as 0000.00.00 and each block moves from general to specific. The first two digits form the chapter; the first four, the heading; and the first six, the subheading, those six come from the Harmonized System (HS), the international standard adopted by most countries. The last two digits are the item and sub-item, the breakdown created by Mercosur for regional needs.
That is why NCM and the HS are related but not identical: up to the sixth digit the logic is the same worldwide; from the seventh on it is Mercosur-specific. Finding the code is not guessing a name, it is classifying the actual product, considering composition, purpose, predominant material and use.
Take NCM 3305.10.00. Chapter 33 groups perfumery and toilet preparations; heading 3305 is "preparations for use on the hair"; subheading 3305.10 corresponds to shampoos; and the trailing .00 indicates no further Mercosur breakdown. Reading left to right, the code narrows from the broad group down to the specific item.
Similar products can fall under very different codes depending on a single technical trait. A knitted garment is classified in chapter 61, while the same garment woven goes to chapter 62, meaning a knit T-shirt and a woven shirt do not even share a chapter. That is why the word "shirt" alone is not enough to classify.
The lookup helps you fill in invoices, configure systems (ERP), check product records, confirm the official description of a code and verify validity and legal act when available. It is a quick aid for anyone dealing with billing, foreign trade and ancillary obligations.
Even so, the correct NCM depends on the actual product and the applicable tax context, and the final decision may involve interpretation rules and tax-authority guidance. Misclassifying affects taxation, tax calculation, customs review and fiscal compliance, and can lead to rework, assessments and additional charges. In sensitive cases, validate with a specialist.
Paste the code into your HTML and the tool shows up on your page, without J-Kit's navigation and ads. It still runs in the browser of whoever visits your site.
<iframe
src="https://jkit.tools/embed/en-US/ncm-lookup"
width="100%"
height="600"
style="border:0"
loading="lazy"
title="NCM Lookup"
></iframe>These references help contextualize formulas, standards, APIs and limitations used on this page. They do not replace professional validation when a result has legal, financial, medical or operational impact.
The safest path is to start from the actual characteristics of the item, such as composition, purpose, predominant material, presentation and real use. A commercial name can help, but it is rarely enough by itself for reliable tax classification.
Find a product's NCM code by exact number or by description.
Use 8 digits for a direct lookup or text to search by name.
Looked up in real time through J-Kit's secure backend, with validation, timeout and rate limiting. Nothing is stored on your device. Source: official Brazilian public data.