Import Duty Calculator

About the Import Duty Calculator

Small importers and Shopify, Amazon FBA and Etsy resellers regularly lose 10-30% of margin to under-budgeted customs duties, VAT, brokerage and merchandise processing fees. This planner gives a fast first-pass estimate of total landed cost using generic HS-category duty averages for ten major destinations (US CBP, UK HMRC, EU TARIC, Canada CBSA, Australia ABF, Japan Customs, China GACC, Vietnam GDVC, Brazil Receita Federal, Mexico SAT) blended with rough free-trade-agreement adjustments and Section-301 surcharges where applicable.

It does not replace a licensed customs broker. It does help you prepare the right questions, ballpark cash-flow needs, and click directly into the correct official tariff lookup before quoting a customer or paying for a container.

How accurate is this calculator versus the real CBP entry summary or HMRC declaration?

It is a planning aid, typically within 20-40% of the final cleared cost for goods where the HS code falls into a single duty bucket. The largest sources of error are (1) anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders that apply to specific origin-HS combinations and can add 50-400% on top of MFN rates, (2) Section 301 China tariffs (current general additional rates 7.5-25%), (3) Section 232 steel/aluminum surcharges, (4) partner-government-agency fees like FDA user fees, and (5) state and provincial sales tax/PST applied after import. For exact numbers you must run the full 10-digit HTS classification through CBP ACE, the HMRC Trade Tariff lookup, or your destination's equivalent — links are provided in the output panel.

What is the difference between FOB, CIF, EXW and DDP in this tool?

Incoterms determine which costs are part of the dutiable customs value. FOB (Free On Board): the buyer pays freight, so the US and Canada exclude freight from customs value while most other countries include it. CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight): seller bundles freight and insurance into the invoice — customs value always includes them. EXW (Ex-Works): buyer arranges freight from the factory door — customs value is the bare invoice. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): seller has already paid duties before shipping; the tool still shows what those duties were so you can verify against the seller's invoice. This tool applies the local rule automatically once you pick an Incoterm and destination.

Why does the duty rate change when I switch the country of origin?

Modern trade runs on bilateral free-trade agreements that can drop the MFN rate to 0% if origin rules are met. Vietnam → EU, Vietnam → UK, Vietnam → Japan have 80-90% duty reductions under EVFTA/UKVFTA/CPTPP. Japan and Korea → EU have 100% removal under JEFTA / EU-Korea FTA. Mexico → US and Canada → US are 100% duty-free under USMCA. By contrast, China → US imports currently carry a 7.5-25% Section 301 additional duty layered on top of MFN, which the tool reflects as a negative reduction. Always claim FTA preference with a properly signed certificate of origin — without it, the broker defaults to MFN and the savings are lost.

Why is electronics duty 0% almost everywhere except Brazil and Mexico?

The WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA-1 1996, ITA-2 2015) eliminated duties on most computer, telecom and semiconductor products in 80+ signatory economies including the US, EU, UK, Japan, Korea, China and Canada. Mobile phones, laptops, SSDs, network gear, ICs and most TVs are 0% duty in those markets. Brazil and Mexico are not full ITA participants and continue to apply 5-25% on consumer electronics to protect local assembly (Manaus Free Zone in Brazil, IMMEX in Mexico). Note: 0% duty does not mean 0% tax — VAT/GST still applies on import, often 15-23%.

What is the US Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) and the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF)?

MPF is a flat ad-valorem fee CBP charges on formal entries: 0.3464% of the customs value, minimum $32.71, maximum $634.62 per entry (FY2024 figures). It applies even when duty is 0%. HMF is 0.125% of customs value, charged on ocean shipments only, no min/max. Air, truck and rail entries skip HMF. Informal entries below $2,500 pay only a flat $2.22 manual or $2.10 automated fee. This calculator includes MPF for US destination automatically; HMF would add roughly another 0.125% on sea freight that you can add manually as a port fee.

Does this work for Section 321 de minimis (under $800 to the US)?

Section 321 allows informal duty-free entry for shipments with retail value under $800 per person per day to the US — the bedrock of cross-border e-commerce from Shein, Temu and AliExpress. If your shipment is under $800 retail value, set duty rate manually to 0 and skip MPF. Note 2026 policy changes: there is an active CBP rulemaking to exclude China-origin and Section 301-listed goods from de minimis. The EU removed its €150 VAT exemption in 2021 (IOSS regime); the UK kept £135 with seller-collected VAT; Canada uses CUSMA's CAD$150 duty / CAD$40 tax thresholds. Always verify the current threshold for your route.

Which official portals should I cross-reference for each destination?

For exact 10-digit classifications and live rates: USITC HTS (hts.usitc.gov) and CBP CROSS rulings for the US; HMRC Trade Tariff (gov.uk/trade-tariff) and the Customs Declaration Service for the UK; TARIC (taric.ec.europa.eu) and Access2Markets for the EU; CBSA Customs Tariff for Canada; ABF Tariff Working Pages for Australia; Japan Customs WTH (世界の関税) database for Japan; GACC English portal for China; the Vietnamese GDVC tariff search for Vietnam; Receita Federal NCM lookup for Brazil; and SIICEX for Mexico. The output panel of this tool links directly into the right starting page for the destination you selected.

Can I trust this for landed-cost margin calculations in a quote to a wholesale buyer?

For an internal first-pass margin model, yes — apply a 15-25% safety buffer on top of the duty estimate and explicitly list 'duty TBC by broker' in the quote. For a contractual fixed-price quote (especially DDP terms) you absolutely need a licensed broker to run the exact HTS classification, confirm zero anti-dumping exposure, and quote you bond, brokerage and any partner-government-agency fees. Brokers usually charge $50-150 per entry for the certified quote and that fee is the cheapest insurance in international trade.