Import Cost Calculator

Work out import cost instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Import Cost Calculator

Landed cost is what the goods actually cost you at your door: goods, freight, insurance, duty, import VAT and clearance fees. The uplift over the invoice value is typically 25-40%, which is why pricing from the supplier invoice alone destroys margins.

Formula

Landed cost

landed = goods + freight + insurance + duty + VAT + clearance fees

Worked example

With the default values below, Import Cost Calculator returns Total landed cost of $11,621.76. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Goods value: 8,500
Freight and insurance: 620
Duty rate: 4 %
Clearance and handling fees: 240

Results

Total landed cost: $11,621.76
Duty and VAT: $2,261.76
Landed cost per unit of 100: $116.22
Uplift over goods value: 36.73% %

Step by step

1Values used
2Landed cost
3Total landed cost= 11,621.76
4Duty and VAT= 2,261.76
5Landed cost per unit of 100= 116.22
6Uplift over goods value= 36.73 %

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should VAT be included in landed cost for pricing?

Not if you can reclaim it as a VAT-registered business. Include duty, freight and fees, which are genuine unrecoverable costs.

What is often forgotten?

Port storage and demurrage if clearance is slow, currency conversion spread, and inland haulage from the port to your warehouse.