Import Cost Checklist: What to Collect Before You Calculate
Gather these details once and every import-cost calculation becomes faster and more accurate. Work through the five sections, tick what you have, and note what you still need to confirm. Print it or save it as a PDF to take into a supplier conversation.
Reviewed by Onno C. P. Boots, publisher of UtilityPilot · Last reviewed: 4 September 2026
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1. Product
The details that decide classification and quantity.
- Plain description: what the product is and what it does
- Material or composition (fibres, metals, plastics, ceramics)
- Intended use and the setting it is designed for
- Whether it is a finished article, a component or a dedicated part
- Photos, spec sheet or datasheet for reference
- Unit quantity in the shipment
- Country of manufacture / origin
- Destination country
2. Customs
What you need to establish the value duty is charged on.
- Candidate HS / commodity code for the destination
- Incoterm on the supplier quote (EXW, FOB, CIF, DDP, etc.)
- Basis of customs value (price paid, plus/less which costs)
- Currency and the exchange rate you will use
- Valuation adjustments (assists, royalties, commissions)
- Preferential origin evidence, if claiming a lower rate
3. Tariff and tax
The duty and import taxes that apply to your goods.
- Standard duty rate for the classification and origin
- Any additional, trade-remedy or anti-dumping duties
- Import VAT / GST rate at destination
- Whether the import VAT is recoverable for you
- Any tariff quotas, suspensions or exemptions
4. Freight
The transport costs that make up the rest of landed cost.
- Mode (sea LCL, sea FCL, air, road, courier)
- Shipment volume in CBM
- Actual (gross) weight and chargeable weight
- Freight charge and which surcharges are included
- Insurance cover for the goods in transit
- Destination port / terminal handling and inland delivery
5. Commercial decision
What turns costs into a pricing and sourcing decision.
- Total landed cost for the shipment
- Landed cost per unit
- Target selling price per unit
- Target gross margin
- Minimum order quantity and its effect on per-unit cost
- Break-even quantity or price
What you must verify
UtilityPilot helps you organise and estimate import costs. Classifications, duty rates and customs value rules must be confirmed with the destination country’s official authority or a licensed customs broker before you file an entry.