Import Duty on Bags & Luggage From China

Bags look cheap to make and land expensive. Synthetic backpacks, duffels, and travel bags carry one of the highest base-duty rates of any consumer category - around 17.5% before any China tariff - and the outer-surface material, not the style, decides the rate. Here is a worked dollar example.

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Quick answer (as of 1 July 2026): The import duty on bags depends on the outer-surface material - but for the synthetic and textile bags most people import, the base duty is high. Man-made-fiber travel bags and backpacks (HTS heading 4202) run around 17.5-17.6%, one of the steepest base rates of any everyday consumer good; leather handbags are often lower, closer to 8%. On top of the base duty, most China-made bags still owe a Section 301 tariff (commonly 25%), the temporary Section 122 surcharge (10%) while it is active, the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF), and - for ocean freight - the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF). In the worked example below, a $16,000 synthetic-bag order owes about $8,475 in duties, tariffs, and fees - more than half the product value. This page was last checked against official sources on 1 July 2026.

Bags are a favorite first product for new importers - they are simple, light, and cheap to manufacture. The surprise comes at customs. Heading 4202 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, which covers trunks, suitcases, handbags, backpacks, wallets, and travel bags, contains some of the highest base-duty rates you will find on an ordinary consumer product. A $20 backpack can carry a base duty that a $20 gadget never would.

And like footwear, the number is driven by materials - specifically the outer surface of the bag. A synthetic or textile bag and a leather one classify under different lines with different rates. So the base duty is both large and easy to get wrong if you guess. The reliable way to know your number is to add the layers up, so let's do that with real dollars.

A real worked example: 800 synthetic travel bags

Say you are importing 800 units of a synthetic travel bag - a polyester backpack or duffel. You pay your supplier $16,000 (FOB, $20/unit) and ship by ocean: $2,200 freight, no cargo insurance. Here is what it actually costs to land that order in the US:

Product value (FOB) - paid to supplier	$16,000.00
Ocean freight	$2,200.00
Insurance	$0.00
Base customs duty (synthetic bags, 17.5%)	$2,800.00
Section 122 surcharge (10%)	$1,600.00
Section 301 tariff (25%, product-specific)	$4,000.00
MPF - formal entry (0.3464% of product value)	$55.42
HMF - ocean freight (0.125% of product value)	$20.00
Total landed cost	$26,675.42
Landed cost per unit (÷ 800)	$33.34

The supplier invoice was $20.00 per bag. The real cost to get it on your shelf is $33.34 - about 67% more. The duties, tariffs, and fees came to $8,475.42 ($2,800 base duty + $1,600 Section 122 + $4,000 Section 301 + $55.42 MPF + $20 HMF) - about 53% of the product value. Notice the base duty alone is $2,800: because synthetic bags sit near the top of the base-rate range, they get hit harder at the base-duty layer than electronics, furniture, or most other categories.

The one lever that can lower this is the material. If your bag is a leather handbag rather than a synthetic travel bag, the base duty is often closer to 8% - which would drop the base duty from $2,800 to $1,280, the total duties/tariffs/fees to $6,955.42, and the landed cost per unit from $33.34 to $31.44. Same order, different material, real money. For bags the risk usually runs downward from the synthetic default - the opposite of footwear, where an exact code often reveals a higher rate.

Plug in a $49.99 sale price with a 15% marketplace fee and this order clears an 18.3% net margin - a GO, but not a fat one. Breakeven is $39.23; to hit a 30% margin you would price at $60.63. Because the base duty is so high on synthetic bags, the margin is thinner than it looks for a $20 product - drop the sale price and it slides to TIGHT fast.

Assumptions: Bags / Luggage category (17.5% base duty for synthetic), Section 122 on, Section 301 on at 25%, Section 232 off, ocean freight on (so HMF applies), 15% marketplace fee. To reproduce this in the calculator, pick the Bags / Luggage category - or, if you import leather, tick "I know my HS code" and enter your lower 4202 rate.

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What actually drives the duty on China bags

For bags, two layers do most of the damage: an unusually high base duty and the Section 301 tariff on top of it. In rough order of how much they move your landed cost:

Base HTS duty - unusually high for synthetics. Heading 4202 covers most bags, and the synthetic/textile lines run around 17.5-17.6% - one of the highest base rates on any consumer product. Leather bags are often lower (~8%). Look up your exact code in the official USITC HTS.
Section 301 - usually 25%. Most China-made bags sit on the Section 301 lists, commonly at 25%. Stacked on the high base duty, this is what pushes total charges past half the product value.
Section 122 surcharge (10%). A temporary 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 232 - generally not. Ordinary bags are outside Section 232, so you would normally leave this layer off. (Remember the stacking rule: Section 122 does not apply on the same goods when Section 232 does - moot for bags, which are not Section 232 goods.)
MPF and HMF. The Merchandise Processing Fee applies on the product value (formal entries over $2,500 pay 0.3464%, floor $33.58, cap $651.50). The Harbor Maintenance Fee (0.125%) applies only to ocean freight - and because bags usually ship by sea, the HMF is a line you will actually pay.

For the dated layer-by-layer detail and official sources, see today's China tariff rates.

Leather vs. synthetic: why the material decides your rate

Heading 4202 taxes bags by their outer-surface material, not by what the bag is for. That one distinction can move your base duty by nearly ten points:

Outer surface of textile man-made fibers (most polyester and nylon backpacks, duffels, and travel bags) - commonly around 17.6%.
Outer surface of plastic sheeting - also in the high-teens range for many lines.
Outer surface of leather (leather handbags and cases) - often lower, closer to 8%.
Wallets, cases, and specialty bags can each fall on their own line, so a "bag" is not one rate.

The calculator's 17.5% default suits the synthetic travel bags most sellers import. If you import leather - or a mixed-material bag - tick "I know my HS code" and enter the rate for your exact 4202 line; for bags, the override usually saves you money rather than costing it.

One important reminder: duty is charged on product value only

In the example above the base duty, Section 301 tariff, Section 122 surcharge, MPF, and HMF were all calculated on the $16,000 product value - not on the $2,200 of ocean freight. US duty, tariffs, the MPF, and the 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.

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

How to estimate your own bag duty

Find your exact HTS code in heading 4202. The rate turns on the outer-surface material - textile, plastic, or leather. Search the USITC HTS for your bag type and material.
Read the base duty for that code. Synthetic and textile bags are often ~17.5-17.6%; leather is often closer to 8%. Do not assume all "bags" share one rate.
Set the tariff layers in the calculator. Pick the Bags / Luggage category (or tick "I know my HS code" for leather), turn on Section 122 (while active) and Section 301 at your confirmed rate (commonly 25%), and leave Section 232 off.
Match your shipping mode. Bags usually ship by ocean, so turn on Ocean Freight to include the HMF.
Enter your sale price and marketplace fee. The calculator returns landed cost per unit, breakeven, and a GO / TIGHT / NO-GO verdict 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

What is the import duty on bags and luggage from China?

It depends on the outer-surface material, but bags carry one of the highest base-duty rates of any consumer category. Synthetic and textile bags (HTS heading 4202, for example man-made-fiber travel bags) run around 17.5-17.6%, while leather handbags are often lower, closer to 8%. On top of the base duty, most China-made bags owe a Section 301 tariff (commonly 25%), the temporary Section 122 surcharge (10%) while it is active, the Merchandise Processing Fee, and - for ocean freight - the Harbor Maintenance Fee. In the worked example on this page, a $16,000 synthetic-bag order owes about $8,475 in duties, tariffs, and fees - more than half the product value.

Why is the import duty on bags so high?

Bags and luggage are classified in HTS heading 4202, and the synthetic and textile lines that cover most imported backpacks, duffels, and travel bags carry some of the highest base-duty rates of any everyday consumer product - around 17.5-17.6%. That is before any China trade-remedy tariff. Add the common 25% Section 301 tariff and the temporary 10% Section 122 surcharge and the total duties, tariffs, and fees can exceed half the product value.

Is the duty on leather handbags different from synthetic bags?

Yes. Within HTS heading 4202 the outer-surface material drives the rate. Bags with an outer surface of textile man-made fibers or plastic sheeting commonly sit around 17.5-17.6%, while leather handbags are often lower, closer to 8%. So if you import leather, the calculator's ~17.5% synthetic-bag default may overstate your base duty - tick "I know my HS code" and enter the lower leather rate for your exact 4202 line.

Do I pay Section 301 tariffs on bags from China?

Usually, yes. Most China-made bags and luggage sit on the Section 301 tariff lists, most commonly at 25%, though specific lines and exclusions exist. Stacked on top of the high base duty for synthetic bags, Section 301 is what pushes total duties, tariffs, and fees past half the product value, so check your exact HTS code against the USTR Section 301 actions. See the current tariff layers.

Do small bag shipments still get the $800 duty-free exemption?

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

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 synthetic-bag classification; your actual cost depends on your HTS classification, country of origin, entry type, exclusions, entry date, and CBP treatment. Bag rates in particular hinge on the outer-surface material and 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.