Calculate landed cost for an international shipment including duties, taxes, and ancillary fees
domain: logistics-general · 6 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Start with the customs value (typically transaction value) of the goods
Add the applicable duty amount derived from the HTS duty rate, accounting for any preferential tariff rates in effect
Add destination-country import taxes (VAT, GST, or consumption tax) calculated on the customs value plus duty as required by that country's tax base
Add broker fees, port handling, customs examination, and other government fees applicable at the destination
Add freight, insurance, and inland delivery costs to the point of delivery as governed by the agreed Incoterms
Sum all components and express as a landed-cost ratio over the goods value for margin and pricing analysis
Known gotchas
Freight and insurance may or may not be included in the customs value depending on whether the destination country uses CIF or FOB as the valuation basis — this affects the duty calculation
VAT is typically calculated on a CIF + duty base, meaning it compounds on top of duties; models that apply VAT only to goods value will understate total import cost
Currency fluctuation between order date and duty payment date can materially change landed cost; build in an exchange-rate buffer for budgeting
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