Import Duty

Import duty is the tax a customs authority charges on goods entering the country. It's calculated as a percentage of the customs value (usually CIF in the EU/UK, FOB in the US) using the duty rate listed against the product's HS code.

Import duty (also called customs duty) is the tax a country's customs authority charges when goods cross its border. It is a percentage of the customs value of the goods, calculated using the duty rate that the country has listed against the product's HS code. The importer of record pays it before the shipment is released.

How it's calculated. Three inputs decide the amount: (1) the customs value — CIF in the EU and UK, FOB in the US; (2) the duty rate — looked up by HS code in the destination country's tariff schedule (TARIC for the EU, HTS for the US, UK Global Tariff for the UK); and (3) the country of origin, which determines whether the standard MFN rate applies or a lower preferential rate under a free-trade agreement is available.

What import duty is not. It is not VAT (which is separately charged on customs value plus duty), not sales tax, not excise duty (additional levies on alcohol, tobacco, fuel), not anti-dumping duty (extra duty on dumped imports from specific origins), and not broker fees. These all stack at the border — the total amount the importer pays is the landed cost, of which import duty is one component.

Example. A €10,000 shipment of cotton T-shirts (HS 6109.10) from China into the EU at 12% MFN duty: customs value €10,200 (€10,000 goods + €200 freight CIF), import duty €1,224, then 23% VAT on (€10,200 + €1,224) = €2,627 VAT. Total payable at the border: €3,851. Switch the origin to a country with an EU FTA preference (e.g. Vietnam under the EU-Vietnam FTA) and the duty drops to 0% if the importer can provide a valid statement on origin — but VAT still applies.

Duty in shipping. Logistics carriers use the term "duty" loosely to mean the total customs charges they collected on a shipment — that figure usually bundles import duty, VAT, and broker handling. When a courier invoice says "duty €82," check the breakdown: in most cases only a portion is the actual import duty.

Who pays. The party named as importer of record is legally responsible. Under Incoterm DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), the seller acts as importer of record and pays. Under DAP, FOB, or EXW, the buyer does. Couriers like DHL or FedEx will typically pre-pay duty and VAT to release a shipment, then bill the consignee with a small disbursement fee.

Also searched: what is import duty · import duty meaning · import duties meaning · duty on imports · duty in shipping · import duties · customs duty · what is duty in shipping · custom duty

Stop looking up terms. Start classifying products.

Describe any product in plain English and get the top-3 HS codes with live duty rates — free, no account.

Free HS Code Lookup →