Tariff Code Compliance for ChatGPT#

Use the public Tariff Code Compliance plugin in ChatGPT to research product classifications against current, versioned tariff evidence. For most customers, the public plugin is the recommended path. Teams that need to validate a private MCP connection can still use the developer-mode custom app method below.

Recommended: install the public plugin#

The public Tariff Code Compliance plugin is listed by Glasswaves, LLC in ChatGPT's Business & Operations category.

1. Go to the public listing and choose Try now (some interfaces say Try in chat). Follow any installation prompt, then connect your account. If already installed, use the existing connection rather than creating a duplicate custom app.
2. In the Tariff Code Compliance authorization window, create an Explorer account or sign in to an existing one.
3. Review the requested read-only tariff knowledge graph access and approve the connection. Enter credentials only in the Tariff Code Compliance sign-up or sign-in window, never in a chat.
4. Start a new ChatGPT conversation and look for the Tariff Code Compliance pill in the composer. If it is not there, choose Plugins below the composer and select Tariff Code Compliance before you send the prompt.

Plugin availability can depend on your ChatGPT plan, workspace settings, region, and administrator controls. If the listing or connection controls are unavailable, check OpenAI's current apps in ChatGPT guide and Troubleshooting Tariff Code Compliance connections.

Classify a product#

Tell ChatGPT what the product is and where it will be imported. If the plugin is unsure, it should ask focused questions before recommending a code.

When you review the answer, confirm that it names the tariff system and exact version it used, links to the supporting evidence, explains the recommendation and rejected alternatives, and makes assumptions and uncertainty clear.

For a prompt you can copy and a sample result, read Tariff Code Compliance for ChatGPT Is Live. For a detailed, step-by-step classification, read the flannel-shirt walkthrough.

Tariff Code Compliance supports tariff research, duty estimates, and customs research. Ask for the destination and available tariff coverage rather than assuming every country is supported. You do not need to select individual tools: ChatGPT guides the conversation, while Tariff Code Compliance supplies versioned evidence. The seven core graph tools are only a subset; account status, HTS search, rulings, and Customs Bulletin tools extend the catalog. The connected server's tools/list is the authoritative current catalog; published plugin availability can differ while updates are reviewed. Results are non-binding research support, not legal advice or a binding customs ruling.

Interactive research, when available#

A connection that exposes render_research_panel can present a compact research trail with provisional candidates and an on-demand authority notebook. Questions and answers stay in chat. Inspect a candidate's sources locally, or explicitly ask about a selected source in chat. The tariff-system selector reflects the connected service's available systems and defaults; it may contain only U.S. HTS. Changing systems starts fresh research rather than reusing another system's conclusions. Hosts or published versions without the panel continue with the normal text workflow. A local preview is not proof that the published plugin includes this feature.

Alternative: connect a custom MCP app#

Use the custom app path when you need to validate the hosted MCP connection directly or your organization manages private MCP apps. It reaches the same read-only Tariff Code Compliance service, but setup requires ChatGPT developer mode and an eligible plan or workspace role.

Developer-mode availability depends on your account and workspace policy. Check OpenAI's current connection guide and ask your workspace administrator if the controls below are unavailable. Labels can vary by plan and interface rollout.

Enable developer mode#

Open ChatGPT Settings → Security and login → Developer mode and turn it on. In a managed workspace, your administrator may need to enable access first.

Create the custom app#

First open an existing custom connection and use Connect or Reconnect if available. Create another connection only if you need a separate one: open Plugins → Add (+) → Create MCP App. Depending on the interface, the plus button may open the form directly or use Create app; the form may be titled New Plugin. The older screenshot below illustrates the fields, not a guarantee of today's button labels.

1. Give the custom connection a distinct name, such as TCC MCP Prod, so it cannot be confused with the public Tariff Code Compliance plugin. Use this MCP server URL:

https://api.prod.tariffcodecompliance.com/tariff-code-compliance/v1/mcp

2. Keep Server URL and OAuth selected, acknowledge the custom MCP warning, and create the app.
3. If sign-in does not open automatically, choose Connect on the newly created connection. Complete the Tariff Code Compliance sign-up or sign-in flow and approve read-only access.
4. In a new chat, explicitly select your custom connection by its distinct name before sending your first prompt.
5. Run the connection check below. A listed tool or completed sign-in alone does not prove a research call succeeds.

Verify account access and a real search#

Send this in a fresh conversation with the intended plugin or custom connection selected:

> Check my connected account with get_account_status. If research access is available, list the available tariff systems and use the exact returned US HTS version, if available. Read its system guide, then use semantic_search_hts to find notes about knitted garments with scope={type:chapter,number:"61"} and kinds=["note"]. Show the selected version, customer-facing source references, and source links, not internal storage paths. Explain any empty results or unavailable coverage; do not invent a classification or substitute another tariff version.

For exact wording or a known phrase, use search_hts; semantic_search_hts discovers related concepts. Neither replaces reading the governing notes and exact graph records. Chapter and note filters intersect before ranking. See the tools reference for filter details.

If access is unavailable, use the account status result to distinguish sign-in, verification, and balance issues. Follow the account or billing link supplied by the service yourself; checking status does not add credit, authorize payment, or change recharge settings. Then retry in a fresh conversation. Never send credentials in chat.

After a custom server update, use its Refresh control if available and check the exposed tools again. Refreshing a custom connection is not the same as updating a published plugin: published tool changes undergo review, and imported skill changes require a new plugin version. See OpenAI's connection and refresh guidance.

The detailed developer-mode custom app article preserves the complete setup and connection-check walkthrough. For the public release story and current public-plugin screenshots, read Tariff Code Compliance for ChatGPT Is Live.

Privacy and boundaries#

Tariff Code Compliance's MCP tools read tariff evidence; they do not write to a catalog or make a filing. ChatGPT may share the relevant conversation context with the connected app according to the controls described on the public listing. See the Privacy Policy for the complete data boundary.

Troubleshooting and reference#

See Troubleshooting Tariff Code Compliance connections for plugin availability, developer mode, app creation, sign-in, workspace, and OAuth issues.

For the endpoint, protocol, privacy boundary, and tools, continue to Tariff Code Compliance Explorer with MCP. You can also open the MCP tools reference and Tariff Code Compliance Explorer directly.