Quick Answer: US import duty is the rate of your product's HTS code for its country of origin, plus the additional tariffs in force on the entry date (Section 301, Section 232, antidumping), plus two customs fees. The AB Group Shipping calculator above reads the current US tariff schedule and shows the duty rate, the duties and fees in dollars and the landed cost.
- Three inputs are enough to start: the product (or its HTS code), the country where it was made and the value of the goods.
- Duty is charged on the value of the goods. International freight and insurance are not part of that value, so the calculator only adds them to the landed cost.
- Every formal entry also pays the Merchandise Processing Fee: 0.3464% of the value, with a minimum of $34.58 and a maximum of $670.86 through September 30, 2027. Ocean shipments add the Harbor Maintenance Fee, 0.125%.
- The same product can pay very different duty depending on where it was made: additional tariffs and antidumping orders are set by country.
- The result is an estimate. A licensed customs broker confirms classification, origin and value before the goods are entered.
Most importers learn what a shipment really costs when the customs bill arrives. The calculator on this page moves that moment to before you buy: it reads the current Harmonized Tariff Schedule, applies the measures in force today and tells you which questions still change the answer.
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Go to the freight calculator →How Is US Import Duty Calculated?
Quick Answer: Customs takes the value of the goods and applies the duty rate of the product's HTS line for its country of origin. Then it adds any additional tariffs that cover that product and origin, and the customs fees.
There are four layers, and each one is decided by something different:
| Layer | What decides it | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Base duty | The HTS code and the country of origin | The Harmonized Tariff Schedule: the General rate, a Special rate under a free-trade agreement, or the Column 2 rate |
| Additional tariffs | The product, its origin and the entry date | Chapter 99 of the schedule: Section 301 on goods from China, Section 232 on metals, vehicles and parts, wood products and other sectors |
| Antidumping and countervailing duties | The exact product and who exported it | Orders of the Department of Commerce, collected by CBP as cash deposits |
| Customs fees | The value and how the goods ship | The Merchandise Processing Fee on every formal entry; the Harbor Maintenance Fee on ocean shipments |
The calculator works through the four in that order. When a layer depends on something only you know, such as whether the goods qualify for a free-trade agreement or how much steel is in the product, it asks.
A Worked Example
On October 11, 2026 the calculator priced wooden dining tables (HTS 9403.60.80.40) made in China, worth $10,000 and arriving by ocean:
| Charge | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base duty, HTS 9403.60.80.40 | Free | $0.00 |
| Section 301 – China (9903.88.03) | 25% | $2,500.00 |
| Section 301 – forced labor (9903.05.31) | 12.5% | $1,250.00 |
| Merchandise Processing Fee | 0.3464% | $34.64 |
| Harbor Maintenance Fee | 0.125% | $12.50 |
| Duties and fees | 37.5% duty rate | $3,797.14 |
| Landed cost before freight | $13,797.14 |
The base rate for furniture is free, yet the shipment pays 37.5%: the whole duty comes from the additional tariffs on Chinese goods. The calculator also asked whether the product falls under the antidumping orders on certain Chinese wooden furniture. That answer can change the total by far more than the tariff, which is why the question is there.
Rates move
The figures above are the calculator's answer on that date. Run your own numbers above: the calculator always uses the schedule in force today.
What Do You Need Before You Calculate?
- The HTS code, or a clear description. The United States classifies imports with a 10-digit code. If you do not have it, describe the product and pick the line that fits.
- The country of origin. Where the goods were made or last substantially transformed. Shipping through another country does not change it.
- The value of the goods. The price on the commercial invoice, in US dollars.
- How it ships. Ocean shipments pay the Harbor Maintenance Fee; air, truck and rail shipments do not.
What Changed in US Tariffs in 2026?
On February 24, 2026, US Customs and Border Protection stopped collecting the tariffs that had been imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (CBP message CSMS #67834313). A temporary 10% import surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act took their place for 150 days. Section 301, Section 232 and antidumping duties were not part of that change and are still collected.
The calculator applies each measure only on the dates it is in force. Its rules are checked against official US sources every 30 minutes: the tariff schedule, the Federal Register, CBP and the White House.
What the Calculator Does Not Include
- Freight and insurance, unless you type them in. They are added to the landed cost, never to the duty.
- Broker and bond costs: the customs broker's fee, the customs bond and any exam or storage charges at the port.
- Other agencies' requirements: permits, registrations or testing that agencies such as the FDA or USDA ask for on certain products.
- Small informal entries. The fees are calculated as for a formal entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Describe the product in the calculator and it suggests lines taken from the official US tariff schedule, or type the code if you already have it. The first six digits are the international HS code; the United States adds four more. A licensed customs broker confirms the classification before entry, and for a product you import often you can ask CBP for a binding ruling.
Not in the United States. Duty is charged on the customs value of the goods, which is normally the price paid for them. The cost of international freight and insurance to the US is left out of that value when it is shown separately on the paperwork. That is why the calculator adds freight and insurance to the landed cost but not to the duty.
It is a fee CBP charges on every formal entry, calculated as a small percentage of the value of the goods with a minimum and a maximum that are adjusted each fiscal year on October 1. Ocean shipments also pay the Harbor Maintenance Fee, a percentage of the value with no minimum. The calculator applies the amounts in force on the date of your estimate.
Yes, often more than the product itself. Origin is where the goods were made or last substantially transformed, not where they shipped from. It decides whether a free-trade rate is available, whether additional tariffs such as Section 301 apply, and whether an antidumping or countervailing order covers the product.
No. It is an estimate for planning, based on the current tariff schedule. Final duties are set when the goods are entered, on the classification, origin and value that CBP accepts, and an entry can be reviewed afterwards. A licensed customs broker confirms those three points before you ship.