Shipcost Lab · Customs duties
Import duty & VAT calculator — UK, EU & US
Updated 2026-06-11 · pinned 2026-06 tariff snapshot · reproducible
Estimate customs duty, import VAT, and total landed cost for a shipment into the UK, an EU member state, or the United States. Uses a pinned 2026-06 tariff snapshot so the numbers are reproducible.
Every line is computed by the in-tool formula from the pinned tariff snapshot — no figure is entered by hand. Re-check the official destination portal before relying on the total.
How landed cost is calculated
Landed cost = customs value × duty rate + import VAT/GST + clearance fees. The customs value is CIF (goods + insurance + freight) for the UK and the EU, and FOB (goods value only) for the US. Duty is that value times the MFN rate for the HS6 code; import VAT is charged on the duty-inclusive amount (the US levies no federal import VAT). The figures on the right are computed live by the tool's verified formula — they are a planning estimate, not a binding customs ruling, and the destination jurisdiction sets the final assessment at import.
- Customs valueCIF (goods + freight + insurance) for UK & EU; FOB (goods only) for the US — freight never enters the US duty base.
- DutyCustoms value × the MFN rate for the HS6 code. US estimates add the 10% Section 122 global surcharge for calculation dates from 2026-02-24 until its statutory lapse on 2026-07-24.
- Import taxVAT/GST on the duty-inclusive amount (UK 20%, EU 19–23% by member state). No federal import VAT in the US.
- ThresholdsUK ≤ £135 and EU ≤ €150 are relieved while they last (EU exemption ends 2026-07-01). The US $800 de minimis is suspended (EO 14324), so US duty applies from $0.
Estimate only — not tax or legal advice. Carrier brokerage/disbursement fees, US Section 301/232 actions, excise, and preferential-origin rates are not in the headline figure; the ledger flags them where relevant. Always verify on the destination's official tariff portal before paying.
How the calculation works
- Pick the destination (UK, EU member state, or US), the origin of the goods, and the HS6 product code. The HS code and destination drive the MFN duty rate; the origin drives trade remedies (e.g. EU anti-dumping on bicycles from China) and intra-zone detection.
- Enter goods value, freight, insurance, and quantity in any of GBP, EUR, or USD — the calculator converts at the pinned snapshot rate.
- Customs value uses CIF (cost + insurance + freight) for the UK and EU, and FOB (cost only) for the US. US estimates add the 10% Section 122 global surcharge on top of MFN until it lapses on 24 Jul 2026 (statutory 150-day limit) — from that date the tool stops adding it. VAT base then adds duty on top.
- Low-value rules apply automatically where they still exist: ≤ £135 UK and ≤ €150 EU IOSS (the EU duty exemption is abolished 2026-07-01). The US de minimis ($800, Section 321) is SUSPENDED since 2025-08-29 (Executive Order 14324) — US duty applies from $0.
What this calculator covers — and what it leaves out
Covered: per-jurisdiction MFN customs duty and import VAT for consignments entering the United Kingdom, an EU member state (Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Poland), or the United States, across a small representative set of consumer-goods HS6 codes. Low-value relief is applied automatically where it still exists: UK £135 point-of-sale VAT and EU €150 IOSS (until 2026-06-30). US estimates include the 10% Section 122 global surcharge for calculation dates before its statutory lapse on 2026-07-24; the US $800 de minimis is suspended (EO 14324, since 2025-08-29) so duty is computed from $0. One trade remedy is modelled: the EU 48.5% anti-dumping duty on bicycles originating in China.
Not modelled (flagged in the result where relevant): US Section 301 China tariffs and Section 232 actions, US framework-agreement rate caps (e.g. the 2025 US–EU framework), excise duties (alcohol, tobacco, fuel), other anti-dumping or countervailing measures, tariff quotas, preferential-origin reductions under trade agreements, carrier brokerage and disbursement fees, and destination-specific handling charges. If your goods may be touched by any of these, treat the figure here as a floor, not a final landed cost.
Built for e-commerce sellers, small importers, and cross-border shoppers who need a defensible planning number before committing to a shipment — without creating an account or sharing any data.
Data freshness & methodology
Dataset snapshot: 2026-06-11. Each rate row carries its own last-verified date; rows not re-verified on the snapshot date surface a staleness warning next to the result instead of a blanket freshness claim.
How the numbers are calculated
- Duty rates are MFN, held per jurisdiction (UK Global Tariff, EU TARIC, USITC HTSUS) — one rate per HS6 per jurisdiction. Where a jurisdiction's rate is not in the snapshot, the duty line is excluded and flagged rather than borrowing another jurisdiction's rate.
- Customs value is CIF (goods + freight + insurance) for the UK and EU; the US uses FOB (goods value only). Duty = customs value × (MFN rate + US Section 122 10% surcharge where destination is the US and the calculation date is before 2026-07-24, its statutory 150-day expiry + any modelled trade remedy, e.g. EU anti-dumping on bicycles originating in China). Import VAT = (customs value + duty) × VAT rate.
- Currency conversion uses the exchange rate pinned in the same snapshot, so a given input always reproduces the same output.
- Low-value thresholds applied: UK £135 (point-of-sale VAT, no duty) and EU €150 IOSS (VAT only, no duty — abolished 2026-07-01 per the Council agreement of 2025-12-12). The US has NO de minimis: Section 321 ($800) is suspended for all countries since 2025-08-29 under Executive Order 14324, so US duty applies from $0.
- Not included in the number (but flagged in the result when relevant): US Section 301 China tariffs (typically +7.5% to +25% by product list), excise duties on alcohol, preferential FTA rates, and US framework-agreement caps (e.g. the 2025 US–EU framework).
Import duty & VAT — frequently asked questions
Is the US $800 de minimis exemption still in effect in 2026?
No. Executive Order 14324 suspended the Section 321 de minimis exemption for shipments from all countries with effect from August 29, 2025, and the suspension was continued in February 2026 (Federal Register 2025-16802 and 2026-03829; verified 2026-06-11). Customs duty now applies from the first dollar: even a $50 parcel owes duty at the MFN rate, plus — until its statutory lapse on 24 July 2026 — the 10% Section 122 surcharge. This calculator therefore applies no US low-value relief at any goods value.
How much is US import duty on clothing in 2026?
For cotton knit t-shirts (HS 6109.10) the US MFN rate is 16.5% (hts.usitc.gov, verified 2026-06-11), plus — for calculation dates before 24 July 2026 — the 10% Section 122 global surcharge, 26.5% in total while the surcharge is in force. Worked example from this calculator's pinned dataset (dated before 24 July 2026): $1,000 of goods with $150 freight and $20 insurance has a $1,000 FOB customs value, $265 duty, no federal import VAT, and a $1,435 total landed cost. From 24 July 2026 the Section 122 surcharge lapses (statutory 150-day limit) and the same shipment owes $165 duty. Section 301 China tariffs are NOT included in these figures and can add roughly 7.5% to 25% more depending on the product list.
What is the 10% US Section 122 import surcharge?
It is a global 10% ad-valorem surcharge applied on top of the MFN rate to imports from all origins, in force from February 24, 2026 until July 24, 2026. It replaced the IEEPA-based tariffs after the Supreme Court struck them down in Learning Resources v. Trump (No. 24-1287; verified 2026-06-11), and it lapses on 24 July 2026 because Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 caps such a surcharge at 150 days absent congressional extension — none was pending as of 2026-07-18. The calculator adds the surcharge automatically to every US estimate dated before 24 July 2026 (even when the MFN component for an HS code is not in the dataset) and stops adding it from that date. A possible Section 301 replacement (10–12.5%, country-specific) was pending at USTR — verify current rates for your goods.
Do parcels under €150 still enter the EU duty-free?
Until June 30, 2026, yes: consignments of €150 or less pay import VAT only (typically collected through IOSS) and no customs duty. From July 1, 2026 the €150 duty exemption is abolished — the Council agreement of December 12, 2025 introduces an interim flat duty of roughly €3 per item on small parcels (verified 2026-06-11). This calculator applies the relief automatically while it lasts and flags the sunset date in the result whenever a low-value EU consignment is detected.
How does the UK £135 low-value rule work?
For consignments at or under £135, UK import VAT is collected by the seller at the point of sale and no customs duty is charged at the border. Worked example: £100 of cotton t-shirts with £15 freight and £5 insurance owes £0 duty and £20 VAT (20% on the goods value), for a £140 landed cost. Above £135 the standard rules apply — duty on the CIF customs value, then VAT on the duty-inclusive amount (thresholds verified 2026-06-11).
What is the difference between CIF and FOB customs value?
The UK and EU compute duty on the CIF value — goods plus insurance plus freight — while the US uses the FOB goods value only, so freight never enters the US duty base. Example into Germany: €400 of roasted coffee (HS 0901.21, EU MFN 7.5% per TARIC, verified 2026-06-11) with €60 freight and €10 insurance gives a €470 CIF customs value, €35.25 duty, €96.00 import VAT (19% on €505.25), and a €601.25 total landed cost.
Are Section 301 tariffs and anti-dumping duties included in the estimate?
Only one trade remedy is modelled: the EU's 48.5% residual anti-dumping duty on bicycles originating in China (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1379; verified 2026-06-11). US Section 301 China tariffs (typically +7.5% to +25% by product list), Section 232 actions, other anti-dumping or countervailing measures, excise duties on alcohol and tobacco, and preferential FTA rates are NOT included — the result flags them where relevant, so treat the figure as a floor, not a ceiling.
This is an estimate, not advice
Actual duties, taxes, and fees are determined by the customs authority at import based on the declared customs value, classification, and origin. Tariff schedules change without notice (especially US Section 232/301 actions). Always verify against the official tariff portal for the destination jurisdiction before paying.
Gear for accurate declarations
Declaring the right weight and a clean packing list keeps customs from re-valuing your shipment. A few tools that help (optional):
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Related ShipCost Lab tools
The duty figure is only as good as the classification and the customs value behind it. These siblings cover the steps before and after this calculator:
- HS code finder — look up the six-digit HS classification that drives the duty rate you select here.
- Customs value builder — build the dutiable customs value (WTO Article VII adjustments — assists, royalties, freight) before applying duty rates.
- IOSS vs OSS decision tool — choose the right EU VAT scheme for sub-€150 e-commerce consignments before the July 2026 duty change.
- All ShipCost Lab shipping cost tools — the full cross-border toolkit — landed cost, freight class, incoterms, transit time, and more.