How Much Does It Cost to Import From China to the USA?

The honest answer is "it depends" - but you can estimate it closely before you order. Your cost to import from China to the USA is the supplier price plus freight, insurance, duty, 2026 tariffs, and US customs fees. Here is a real worked example.

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Quick answer (as of 30 June 2026): There is no single flat fee. To import from China to the USA you pay your supplier's product (FOB) price, plus international freight and insurance, plus US import charges: base customs duty, the temporary Section 122 surcharge (10%) while it is active, any Section 301 or Section 232 tariffs your product carries, the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF), and - for ocean freight - the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF). In the worked example below, $10,000 of goods shipped for $2,000 lands at about $16,047 - the duties, tariffs, and fees alone add more than 40% on top of the product value. This page was last checked against official sources on 30 June 2026.

Most first-time importers make the same expensive mistake: they treat the price the supplier quotes as the cost of the product. It is not. The number that decides whether your order makes money is the landed cost per unit - everything it takes to get one unit to your door in the US, duties and fees included.

Depending mainly on your HS code and which Section 301 or Section 232 tariffs apply, US duties, tariffs, and fees commonly add anywhere from about 10% to well over 50% on top of your FOB product cost in 2026. The only way to know your number is to add the layers up - so let's do exactly that with real dollars.

A real worked example: 1,000 units from China

Say you are importing 1,000 units of a general consumer product. You pay your supplier $10,000 (FOB), ship it by ocean for $2,000, and skip cargo insurance. Here is what it actually costs to land that order in the US:

Product value (FOB) - paid to supplier	$10,000.00
Ocean freight	$2,000.00
Insurance	$0.00
Base customs duty (general-goods example rate, 5%)	$500.00
Section 122 surcharge (10%)	$1,000.00
Section 301 tariff (25%, product-specific)	$2,500.00
MPF - formal entry (0.3464% of product value)	$34.64
HMF - ocean freight (0.125% of product value)	$12.50
Total landed cost	$16,047.14
Landed cost per unit (÷ 1,000)	$16.05

The supplier invoice was $10.00 per unit. The real cost to get it on your shelf is $16.05 - over 60% more. The US duties, tariffs, and fees alone ($500 + $1,000 + $2,500 + $34.64 + $12.50) came to $4,047.14, more than 40% of the product value, before you have spent a cent on Amazon fees or advertising.

Plug in a $28.00 sale price with a 15% marketplace fee and this order clears a 27.7% net margin - a GO. Breakeven is $18.88; to hit a 30% margin you would price at $29.18. Drop the sale price toward breakeven, or add a Section 232 tariff, and the same order can flip to TIGHT or NO-GO fast.

Assumptions: general-goods category (5% base duty), Section 122 on, Section 301 on at 25%, Section 232 off (not a metals product), ocean freight on, 15% marketplace fee. To reproduce this in the calculator, set the Section 301 rate to 25% and turn on Ocean Freight.

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What goes into the cost of importing from China

Every China-to-USA import is built from the same six cost groups. Miss one and your margin math is wrong:

Product / FOB cost. The invoice price you pay the supplier. This is also the duty base - the value every tariff and customs fee is calculated on.
International freight. Ocean or air. Ocean is cheaper per unit but slower; air is fast but can dwarf the product cost on heavy goods.
Cargo insurance. Optional but cheap protection against loss or damage in transit.
Customs duty and tariffs. Base HTS duty, plus the trade-remedy layers - Section 122, Section 301, and Section 232 - that apply to your product.
Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF). A CBP fee on the product value. Formal entries (over $2,500) pay 0.3464% with a floor of $33.58 and a cap of $651.50; informal entries ($2,500 or less) typically pay a small flat automated fee instead.
Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF). 0.125% of the product value, charged only on ocean freight arriving at US ports - not on air freight.

One point trips people up constantly: duty, MPF, and HMF are charged on the product (FOB) value only. Your freight and insurance add to the total landed cost, but they are not part of the dutiable value. That is why this calculator keeps them in separate lines.

The 2026 tariff layers (and how they stack)

For China specifically, the base duty is rarely the biggest number. These are the layers to check before you order - see today's China tariff rates for the dated detail and official sources.

Base HTS duty. Set by your product's classification in the official USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Ranges from 0% (many electronics, toys) to 30%+ (apparel, textiles).
Section 122. A temporary 10% surcharge, modeled here as default-on for the common China case. It is scheduled to lapse around 24 July 2026 unless extended, so re-check it near that date.
Section 301. China-specific tariffs that vary widely by product - commonly around 25%, but ranging from 7.5% to 100%. Check yours by HS code; it is the layer most likely to swing your landed cost.
Section 232. Product-specific trade-remedy duties on covered goods such as steel, aluminum, copper, autos, semiconductors, and lumber. Rates vary; a conservative planning default for metals is 50%, with lower bands for some derivatives and around 25% for autos and semiconductors.

A stacking rule matters here: Section 122 does not stack on the same goods when Section 232 applies - the surcharge does not apply on top of Section 232 duties. So if your product is Section 232-covered, plan for the 232 rate instead of adding the 10% Section 122 layer to it.

And do not assume small orders slip through duty-free: the $800 de minimis exemption is suspended for shipments from all countries, China included, so even low-value shipments now owe normal duties and fees.

How to estimate your own cost

Start with your FOB cost and unit count. That sets your duty base and lets the calculator divide everything down to a per-unit number.
Add real freight and insurance. Use a forwarder's quote, not a guess - ocean freight in particular can move your per-unit cost more than the duty does.
Set your tariff layers. Look up your HS code's base duty, then turn on Section 122 (if active), Section 301, and Section 232 at the rates that apply to your product.
Enter your sale price and marketplace fee. The calculator returns landed cost per unit, breakeven, and a GO / TIGHT / NO-GO verdict so you know before you wire a deposit.

The goal is not a perfect customs filing - it is a confident order decision. Estimate the landed cost per unit first, then decide whether the numbers still work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to import from China to the USA?

There is no single flat fee. Your total landed cost is the supplier's product (FOB) price, plus international freight and insurance, plus US import charges: base customs duty, the temporary Section 122 surcharge while active, any Section 301 or Section 232 tariffs your product carries, the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF), and the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) on ocean shipments. In the worked example on this page, $10,000 of goods shipped for $2,000 lands at about $16,047 - the duties, tariffs, and fees alone add more than 40% on top of the product value.

What costs are included when importing from China to the USA?

Plan for six groups: the product or FOB price you pay the supplier, international freight, cargo insurance, US customs duty and tariffs (base HTS duty plus Section 122, Section 301, and Section 232 where they apply), the Merchandise Processing Fee, and the Harbor Maintenance Fee for ocean freight. Duty, the MPF, and the HMF are charged on the product value only - not on your freight or insurance.

How much is import duty from China to the USA?

Base duty depends on your product's HTS classification - some electronics are 0% while apparel can exceed 30%. But base duty is rarely the whole story for China: most shipments also carry the temporary 10% Section 122 surcharge while it is active, and many carry a Section 301 tariff (commonly around 25%, though it ranges from 7.5% to 100%). Look up your HS code in the official USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule, then add the trade-remedy layers that apply.

Is there still an $800 duty-free limit for imports from China?

No. As of 2026 the $800 de minimis exemption is suspended for shipments from all countries, China and Hong Kong included. Low-value China shipments now require a customs entry and owe normal duties, tariffs, and fees regardless of value, so you cannot assume small orders arrive duty-free. Read the de minimis explainer.

Do I pay import duty on the shipping cost too?

No. US import duty, the Section 122, 301, and 232 tariffs, the MPF, and the HMF are all calculated on the product (FOB) value only. Freight and insurance add to your total landed cost, but they are not part of the duty base. That is why this calculator keeps freight and insurance separate from the dutiable value.

Planning Information Only

This page is general information, not legal, customs, tax, or financial advice. The worked example uses planning-estimate rates and a sample product classification; your actual cost depends on your HTS classification, country of origin, entry type, exclusions, entry date, and CBP treatment. Tariff rates in this area change often. Verify current rates and rules with official sources such as the USITC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or a licensed customs broker, before committing money to an order.