How to Use the Import Cost Calculator

1. On Quick Calculator, enter what you are importing, the country of origin, the destination, the quantity, the unit price and the shipping method. Add freight, the duty rate and the VAT/GST rate if you know them.
2. Press Calculate Import Cost to see the total landed cost, the landed cost per unit and the cost increase over the supplier price.
3. Open Advanced Costs to set the Incoterm, currency and exchange rate, freight method, insurance, origin and destination charges, the duty basis, additional duties, de-minimis thresholds and whether import VAT is recoverable. Results update as you type.
4. Use Compare Suppliers and Compare Shipping to test quotes, Incoterms, transport options and order quantities, and Profitability to check margin and break-even price.
5. Print, save as PDF, copy or share the result from the Report tab.

What Is an Import Cost Calculator?

An import cost calculator works out what a product really costs once it has been shipped, cleared through customs and delivered to your warehouse. It is used by importers, wholesalers, e-commerce and Amazon sellers, procurement teams and private-label brands to price products, compare suppliers and plan cash before placing an order. This Import Cost Calculator goes beyond price + freight + duty: it separates customs value from duty base, shows how each charge is calculated and distinguishes cash paid at import from the true economic cost.

What Is Landed Cost?

Landed cost is the total cost of goods delivered to your door: supplier price, freight, insurance, duties, taxes, clearance and delivery. Landed cost per unit is that total divided by the quantity. It is the number you should use for pricing and margin, because a $10 product can easily cost $13–16 by the time it reaches your shelf.

How to Calculate Import Cost

Goods value = unit price × quantity (× exchange rate) Customs value ≈ goods + freight + insurance + dutiable additions − deductions Customs duty = duty taxable base × duty rate Import VAT/GST = tax base × tax rate (tax base often = customs value + duty) Landed cost = goods + freight + insurance + duty + additional duties + VAT/GST + fees + delivery Landed cost per unit = landed cost ÷ quantity

Example: 1,000 units at $10 = $10,000. Freight $1,000 and insurance $100 give a customs value of $11,100. Duty at 10% is $1,110. VAT at 20% on $12,210 is $2,442. With $200 brokerage and $300 delivery, the landed cost is $15,152, or $15.15 per unit, a 51.5% uplift on the supplier price. If the $2,442 VAT is fully recoverable, the economic cost is $12,710, or $12.71 per unit.

What Costs Are Included in Import Cost?

• Origin: factory pickup, export documentation and clearance, origin handling and terminal charges.
• International transport: sea, air, rail, road or courier freight, fuel and security surcharges, cargo insurance.
• Customs: customs duty, additional customs duty, regulatory duty, anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties, excise.
• Import tax: VAT, GST, sales tax or other import taxes.
• Destination: customs brokerage, clearance, port and terminal handling, documentation, inspection and exams, demurrage, storage, local trucking, delivery and warehousing.

How Customs Duty Is Calculated

Duty depends on three things: the HS classification of the product, its country of origin (which decides whether a preferential rate under a trade agreement or an extra tariff applies) and the valuation basis of the destination. Ad valorem duty is a percentage of the duty base; specific duty is an amount per unit or per kg. Where several charges apply, check whether each is calculated on the customs value alone or on the value plus duty: the calculator lets you set this for each additional duty and shows the method it used.

What Is Customs Value?

Customs value is the value used to assess duty. In most countries it starts from the transaction value (the price paid or payable) and adds certain costs such as packing, assists (moulds, tools or materials you supplied), royalties and licence fees related to the goods, and, in CIF-basis countries, freight and insurance to the place of import. Some costs can be deducted when shown separately. The calculator gives an estimated customs value; the actual value depends on destination-country rules.

What Is the Difference Between FOB and CIF?

FOB (Free On Board) prices include the goods loaded on board at the origin port. CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) prices also include ocean freight and minimum insurance to the destination port. A CIF quote looks more expensive than FOB but already covers freight; the right comparison is the landed cost of each. Under CIF the supplier chooses the carrier, and destination terminal charges are often billed to you anyway. FOB, CFR and CIF are rules for sea and inland waterway transport; for containers and air, FCA, CPT and CIP are often more suitable.

How Incoterms Affect Import Cost

Incoterms® rules define which costs and risks the supplier covers and which you pay. The calculator uses the Incoterm you choose to mark which cost groups are included in the supplier price, and you can override every one of them, because real quotes and contracts vary.

“Supplier” means usually included in the supplier price; “You” means usually paid by the buyer. Actual obligations depend on the contract and named place.

What Is Import VAT/GST?

Import VAT or GST is a tax charged when goods enter the country, normally at the same rate as domestic VAT/GST on that product. It is usually calculated on the customs value plus duty (and sometimes plus excise, other duties or transport costs to the first destination). Some countries charge sales tax or other import taxes instead, and the United States has no federal import VAT.

Is Import VAT Recoverable?

For many VAT- or GST-registered businesses, import VAT on goods used for taxable sales can be reclaimed. That is why the calculator shows two numbers: the cash required at import (including VAT you pay up front) and the economic landed cost (excluding the recoverable part). Partial recovery is supported for businesses with exempt activities. Whether you can recover the tax, and when, depends on the rules of your country and your registration.

What Are Additional Import Tariffs?

On top of normal duty, goods can attract anti-dumping and countervailing duties (often specific to a product and origin, sometimes to an individual manufacturer), safeguard duties, additional or retaliatory tariffs, regulatory duties, surcharges and excise. Each one is entered separately in Advanced Customs, with its own rate and basis, so you can see exactly what each adds.

What Is a De-Minimis Threshold?

A de-minimis threshold is a shipment value below which duty or tax is not collected. Thresholds differ between duty and tax, between countries and between postal, courier and freight shipments, and they are frequently changed. Enter the threshold you have verified; the calculator shows below or above and removes the waived charges from the estimate.

How to Calculate Landed Cost Per Unit

Landed cost per unit = total landed cost ÷ quantity Cost uplift % = (landed cost − goods value) ÷ goods value × 100

Fixed charges such as brokerage, documentation and delivery are spread across every unit, so per-unit landed cost usually falls as the order grows. The Purchase Quantity Scenarios table shows this for 100 to 10,000 units.

How Freight Affects Import Cost

Freight affects import cost twice: directly, and through duty and tax when freight is part of the customs value. Sea freight is priced by container or per CBM; air and courier freight by chargeable weight, which is the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (length × width × height ÷ the carrier’s divisor, commonly 5,000 or 6,000 for cm and kg). Use the CBM calculator to work out shipment volume and container fit before you ask for freight quotes.

How to Compare Suppliers by Landed Cost

Enter each supplier’s unit price, Incoterm, freight, insurance, duty rate and other charges. A supplier at $9.50 per unit can cost more delivered than one at $11 if its freight is higher or its country of origin attracts a higher duty rate. The comparison highlights the lowest landed cost, but the decision stays yours: quality, lead time, minimum order, payment terms and reliability matter as much as price.

Import Cost vs Landed Cost

Import cost usually means the costs added by importing: freight, insurance, duties, taxes and fees. Landed cost is the supplier price plus all of those. The difference between the two is the cost uplift. This calculator shows all three: goods value, import costs (uplift) and total landed cost.

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Frequently Asked Questions