Guides for US importers
The duty on an import belongs to its HS code. Describe a product on the right to get the 10-digit HTS code, the reasoning and the 2026 duty, then use the guides below to compare tools and price a catalog by industry, carrier and country of origin.
For a whole catalog, the paid plans classify a CSV in one run, from $59 a month on the HS code classification pricing page, and the import duty calculator shows each duty layer for one shipment.
Customs declaration · AI classifier
FORM TW-01
Every Shopify product that crosses a border needs an HS code and a country of origin, and de minimis no longer lets small parcels skip it. Here are the tools that fill the empty column in bulk, whether to store 6 or 10 digits, and what classifying 80, 600 or 5,000 products costs.
Read the guideApparel rates run from 8 to 32 percent and the line between them turns on fiber content. Here are the trade compliance tools that actually fit a clothing brand, what to test in a demo, and how the July 2026 tariff layer changed the math by sourcing country.
Read the guideA broker charges $5 to $15 per extra HTS line and $50 to $200 for a new commodity review. Software charges the same whether your catalog is 10 SKUs or 800. Here is how the cost, the accuracy and the liability actually compare, and the volume at which the arithmetic flips.
Read the guideA broker charges $5 to $15 to add a classification line and $50 to $200 for a documented review. A consultant bills by the hour. CBP will bind itself to an answer for free in about 30 days. Here is what each route costs, and the arithmetic on a 300 SKU catalog.
Read the guideAn HS code reads left to right, broad to specific. Six digits are international, and the US adds four more, only two of which carry the duty rate. Here is what every segment means, how to read the rate columns and indent structure, and the rules that decide close calls.
Read the guideDrawback refunds 99 percent of the duties, taxes and fees you paid on imports that later get exported or destroyed. Section 301 duties are refundable, Section 232 and AD/CVD are not, and the five-year clock is unforgiving. Here is how a claim actually works.
Read the guideJapan has no comprehensive free trade agreement with the US, so most goods pay the ordinary MFN rate. But a Japan-specific Section 232 provision puts cars at a flat 15 percent, and a limited 2020 agreement zeroes the duty on machine tools, optics and pianos if you claim it.
Read the guideYou cannot avoid duty you legally owe, but you can lower it with tools CBP recognizes: getting the classification right, claiming an FTA, valuing on the first sale, running goods through a foreign trade zone, and claiming drawback on what you re-export. Here is how each one works.
Read the guideCanadian goods that meet USMCA rules of origin enter the US duty-free, which covers most cross-border trade. What breaks that is metal content and trade remedies: steel and aluminum owe Section 232 on full value, and softwood lumber owes AD/CVD, both regardless of USMCA origin. Here is the structure.
Read the guideGermany has no free trade agreement with the US, so German goods pay the standard MFN rate for their code: 2.5 percent on cars, near zero on most machinery and instruments. What moves the number is Section 232 and a policy layer that is changing month to month. Here is the durable structure.
Read the guideA customs binding ruling is a written CBP decision that settles how your product will be classified before you import it. It costs nothing, usually takes about 30 days, and binds CBP at every US port. Here is how to request one and when it is worth the wait.
Read the guideThe harbor maintenance fee is 0.125 percent of cargo value on waterborne shipments, and unlike the merchandise processing fee it has no cap, so it keeps climbing with shipment value. Here is how it works, who owes it, why exports pay nothing, and how it compares to the MPF.
Read the guideThe UK has no comprehensive free trade agreement with the US, so British goods pay the standard MFN duty for the product code, plus a volatile 2026 policy layer and separate sector tariffs on steel, aluminum and cars. Here is the method, with a worked example.
Read the guideThe merchandise processing fee is a US customs user fee of 0.3464 percent of your goods value, capped between $33.58 and $651.50 per entry for 2026, and it applies even when the duty rate is Free. Here is how it is calculated, how it differs from duty and the HMF, and when it is waived.
Read the guideVietnam has no free trade agreement with the US, so you pay the standard MFN duty for the product code, which runs from zero on electronics to over 37 percent on footwear, plus a volatile 2026 policy layer. Here is the method, with a worked example.
Read the guideA customs bond is a financial guarantee that CBP will be paid the duty on your imports, and it is required for almost every commercial entry over $2,500. Here is what it guarantees, the two types, what each costs, and when a self-filer needs one.
Read the guideShipped from Mexico does not mean duty-free. Goods pay zero only if they qualify under USMCA and you claim it correctly. Here is how qualification works, what certification you file, and the mistakes that turn a saved 5 percent into a repayment.
Read the guideThere is no single China duty rate. The real figure is your base HTS duty plus the Section 301 surcharge plus a couple of fees, calculated on customs value. Here is the exact method, with a worked example and the de minimis change.
Read the guideThe HS code answers "what duty applies". The ECCN answers "are you allowed to export this at all". Confusing the two is one of the most expensive mistakes in cross-border trade.
Read the guideDuty is not a mystery fee. It is a rate, attached to a code, applied to a value. This guide walks the whole calculation on a real shipment, including where people go wrong.
Read the guideGolf clubs and skateboards sit in 9506, tackle in 9507, tents in Chapter 63 and helmets in 6506, and from China one container runs from 12.5 to 28.8 percent. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify an outdoor and sporting goods catalog, with 2026 duty and cost per SKU.
Read the guideMost medical devices are Free at the general rate, yet nitrile gloves and syringes from China pay 112.5 percent in 2026 and masks 69.5 percent. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a medical supplies catalog, with the duty on the lines that cost money and the cost per SKU.
Read the guideA wooden crib from China pays 37.5 percent in 2026, a cotton bodysuit 28.1 percent and a stroller 16.9 percent, because each sits on a different Section 301 list. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a baby products catalog, with the duty by line and origin and cost per SKU.
Read the guideA dog leash from China pays 39.9 percent in 2026, a dog bed 27 percent and a rubber chew toy 16.8 percent, because each sits on a different Section 301 list. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a pet catalog, with the duty by line and origin and cost per SKU.
Read the guideA treadmill from China pays 24.6 percent in 2026, the rubber floor tiles shipped with it 40.2 percent, and the same treadmill from Taiwan 10 percent. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a fitness catalog, with the duty by line and origin and cost per SKU.
Read the guideA cordless drill from China pays 14.2 percent and a screwdriver 43.7 percent, because one sits on no active Section 301 list and the other on List 3. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a power and hand tool catalog, with the 2026 duty by line and cost per SKU.
Read the guideAn LED bulb from China pays 14.5 percent and an LED fixture 41 to 45 percent, and the difference is whether the light source is built in. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a lighting catalog, with the 2026 duty by line and cost per SKU.
Read the guidePedal bikes, e-bikes, parts and batteries sit in four different headings, and from China they now pay 20 to 48.5 percent once the Section 301 layers stack. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a bike and parts catalog, with the 2026 duty by line and cost per SKU.
Read the guideMost perfume, makeup and skincare enters the US at a Free general rate, but deodorant, bath products, some face washes and sponges do not, and since July 24, 2026 a 12.5 percent Section 301 layer applies to Chinese and Vietnamese goods. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a beauty catalog, with cost per SKU.
Read the guideSince July 8, 2026 the HTS code on a toy entry decides whether ACE asks for the Children's Product Certificate, and since July 24 a 12.5 percent Section 301 layer applies to Chinese goods. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a toy and children's product catalog, with cost per SKU.
Read the guideSince April 2026 a stainless skillet pays the Section 232 metals duty on its full value while several cast iron lines pay none, dinnerware is dutied by the set, and appliances sit on a steel derivative list. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a kitchenware and home goods catalog, with cost per SKU.
Read the guideMost components are duty free at the base rate, but Chinese-origin headings 8541 and 8542 pay 50 percent under Section 301 and a narrow class of advanced chips picked up a Section 232 duty in 2026. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify an electronics bill of materials, with cost per line.
Read the guideSince 6 April 2026 Section 232 duty applies to the full customs value of a covered article, not its metal content, so the tariff code now decides whether the whole invoice pays 50 percent or nothing. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a metals catalog, with cost by catalog size.
Read the guideA water pump, a wiring harness and a box of mounting bolts land in three different chapters, and only some of them pay the 25 percent Section 232 auto parts duty. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a parts catalog, with cost by catalog size.
Read the guideSince the 25 percent Section 232 wood duty and the July 2026 forced-labor 301 layer, the frame material on a sofa decides which layer you pay. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a furniture catalog, with cost by catalog size.
Read the guideFood is where a classification mistake stops being a rounding error: quota lines, dairy import licenses and the candy versus chocolate split all change the invoice. A buyer comparison of the tools that classify a food catalog.
Read the guideIf you price international products off the supplier invoice alone, you are guessing. The landed cost formula turns "what we paid" into "what it truly costs to get one unit onto the shelf".
Read the guideReading about codes is slower than getting one.
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