What This Calculator Estimates
When goods cross a border, customs authorities assess a duty (tariff) based on the item's declared customs value and its tariff classification. This calculator estimates that duty and your full landed cost — everything you actually pay to get the goods to your door — from a customs value, tariff rate and shipping costs you supply.
Duty = (Goods Value + Freight & Insurance) × Tariff Rate
Most countries, including the United States, calculate duty on a CIF basis (Cost, Insurance, Freight) — meaning the shipping and insurance cost is added to the goods value before the tariff rate is applied, not just the goods price alone.
Worked Example
$5,000 of goods, $300 freight and insurance, at a 10% tariff rate: dutiable value = $5,300, duty owed = $530. Add a $50 customs broker fee and the total landed cost is $5,880 — about 17.6% above the original goods price.
Why the Rate Isn't a Single Universal Number
Tariff rates depend on the product's Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classification and its country of origin — the same product category can carry very different rates depending on where it was made, and rates change with trade policy. This calculator does not look up rates for you; find your product's exact rate through your country's official customs tariff database (in the US, the U.S. International Trade Commission's HTS search) before relying on the result for a real shipment.
Other Costs to Budget For
- Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) and similar administrative fees, often a small percentage with a minimum/maximum.
- Customs broker fees if you use one to clear the shipment.
- State sales tax, which typically applies on top of the landed cost once goods are sold domestically.
Estimate only — always verify the exact tariff rate and fees for your specific product and country before importing.