Buyer-side sourcing workspace
Landed Cost Calculator & Scenario Comparison
Compare supplier and Incoterm assumptions on one quantity and currency. Cross-check freight against CBM or chargeable weight, expose customs-value gaps and model a user-set cost range.
Status
User-entered arithmetic—not a tariff lookup
Output
2–4 scenarios, margin thresholds, CSV and print view
Before entering a rate
A usable estimate needs six resolved inputs
A neat total built on the wrong code, origin or tax base is still the wrong total.
- 1. Import jurisdiction: country and, where relevant, state, province or member state.
- 2. Entry date: rates, exclusions and temporary measures are date-sensitive.
- 3. Classification: importing-country tariff code with rationale or ruling status.
- 4. Origin: non-preferential origin plus any valid preference and proof.
- 5. Customs value: method, additions, deductions and supporting documents.
- 6. Tax treatment: rate, calculation base, recoverability and payment timing.
What the calculator actually does
Every amount and rate is explicit. The component tally is a reconciliation aid, never a legal customs valuation.
Duty = user-entered customs value × user-entered duty rate. Landed cash outlay = goods + international freight + insurance + other costs + duties + VAT/GST calculated on the selected base.
The packing, tooling/assist, royalty and other-value fields are displayed beside goods, freight and insurance to expose omissions or unexplained differences. They do not decide which components legally belong in customs value for your jurisdiction.
Start with the quote comparison and CBM planner; both can open this page and transfer only the figures you choose within the two same-origin tabs.
Method version 2.1 · Reviewed 22 July 2026
Illustrative arithmetic · no embedded rate
A USD 10,000 quote can become USD 15,116 of cash outlay
Example user inputs: goods 10,000; freight 1,500; insurance 100; other costs 500; customs value 11,600; basic duty 5%; VAT 20% on customs value plus duty. The tool calculates duty 580, VAT 2,436 and total cash outlay 15,116—or 15.12 per unit at 1,000 units.
This demonstrates the formula only. It does not say those rates, value components or tax base are correct for any import.
Accounting boundary
Cash outlay is not always economic cost
Recoverable import VAT or GST can affect working capital without remaining a cost. Compare every supplier on the same treatment: gross cash outlay, net cost after recoverable tax, or both. Put the choice in shared assumptions instead of silently removing tax from one scenario.
Official source map
Use the source for the importing jurisdiction. The same product can have different national code digits, rates, additional duties and tax treatment.
- WTO technical information on customs valuation
World Trade Organization
Transaction value as the primary method and the sequential alternative methods when it cannot be used.
- EU customs valuation
European Commission · Taxation and Customs Union
The role of classification, origin and value, plus EU transaction-value additions, deductions and alternative methods.
- EU rules of origin for goods
European Commission · Taxation and Customs Union
Why shipment country is not origin and how preferential and non-preferential origin affect tariff treatment.
- HTS classification and importing FAQs
United States International Trade Commission
Why keyword search and a supplier's export code are not enough for U.S. classification.
- Commercial invoice value guidance
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S.-specific treatment of price paid and additions such as packing, assists and royalties.
- Determine total export price
U.S. International Trade Administration
A government worked framework for separating product, freight, insurance, tariffs, taxes and other fees.
Landed cost calculator questions
What is included in landed cost?
For this calculator, landed cash outlay is goods value plus international freight, insurance, user-entered other costs, calculated basic and additional duties, and VAT or GST on the basis you select. Brokerage, port, inspection, storage, domestic delivery, financing, marketplace costs and recoverable tax treatment must be entered or documented separately.
Does this landed cost calculator look up tariff rates?
No. It performs arithmetic only. The user must determine the importing-country classification, origin, valuation method, entry date, duty and tax rates from current official sources or qualified advisers.
Is an HS code from a Chinese supplier enough?
Not necessarily. The first six digits are internationally harmonized, but national tariff schedules add country-specific digits and duty treatment. The importing country’s legal schedule and classification rules control.
Should recoverable import VAT be treated as landed cost?
Recoverable VAT may be a cash-flow item rather than a permanent economic cost. Keep comparison scenarios on the same basis and document whether tax is recoverable, blocked, deferred or excluded from the decision metric.