Preparing a written classification inquiry
Japan ACP | Aplash G.K.

Working notes for your team. This is not a Customs application form.

Write the question before assembling the application

Describe the classification issue in a few sentences. Are two candidate headings being discussed? Is the composition unclear? Does a product combine functions? Include any existing code and the reasoning or record behind it. A useful inquiry identifies the actual product and the point needing an answer; it does not ask Customs to classify a hypothetical range of possible future designs.
A preliminary HS code and ACP review can help identify that uncertainty and the missing facts. It is a separate exercise from a written Customs inquiry. State your intended decision, such as finalising a product selection or preparing a shipment, so the next step can be chosen deliberately.

Your notes:


Know which response you are seeking

Japan Customs provides written advance rulings on tariff classification, requested using Form C1000. Its guidance distinguishes these from ordinary oral or email replies given for reference. A written ruling is respected at declaration when the relevant conditions are met; differences in the goods, expiry, legal changes or errors can affect that treatment.
Customs also describes conditions under which an email inquiry can be handled as a written inquiry. Do not assume an email response has that status merely because it is written on screen. Confirm the route with Customs and keep the issued response, its scope and any conditions together.

Your notes:


Build an inquiry about an identified product

[ ] Exact manufacturer, model and supplied configuration
[ ] Factual specification with the relevant composition and function
[ ] Photographs, catalogue pages or other matching evidence
[ ] Proposed import arrangements and the question requiring an answer
[ ] A contact able to provide clarification or further material

Your notes:


Agree who prepares, submits and keeps the response

Discuss the inquiry with your customs broker or Customs and identify who will submit it and answer follow-up questions. Share commercial deadlines as planning information, without assuming a response will arrive by a particular shipment date. If work on the product is still changing its specification, settle the relevant facts before relying on a written answer.
Once a response is issued, keep it with the reviewed specification and tell the declaration team where it is stored. Before a later shipment, compare the actual goods with that record and check the ruling's current applicability. Appointment documents, product approvals and import clearance remain separate matters from a classification response.

Your notes:


A written answer has a defined subject
Use the formal route when it matches the decision you need to make. Keep the question, exact product evidence, submission responsibility and issued response connected throughout the shipment process.

Sources
Japan Customs: written and informal advance ruling routes: https://www.customs.go.jp/english/c-answer_e/imtsukan/1202_e.htm
Japan Customs: current Form C1000 and accompanying notes: https://www.customs.go.jp/kaisei/youshiki/form_C/C1000.pdf