{
  "slug": "landed-cost-china",
  "title": "Landed Cost Calculator (China Import)",
  "heading": "Landed Cost from China Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/landed-cost-china",
  "summary": "Unit cost, freight, duty, and customs fees rolled into true landed cost.",
  "description": "Your factory quote is never your real per-unit cost. Ocean or air freight, customs duty based on HTS classification, merchandise processing fees, customs broker fees, and any inland trucking all add to the FOB unit price before the product reaches your warehouse. Importers who price off the factory quote alone routinely discover 20-40% higher true costs once freight and duty land. This calculator takes your FOB unit price, total shipment freight cost, duty rate, and fixed customs/brokerage fees, then divides everything across your order quantity to produce a true landed cost per unit. Enter FOB unit price, total units in the shipment, total freight cost for the whole shipment, duty rate as a percentage of value, and flat customs/brokerage fees. The output shows landed cost per unit and the percentage markup over FOB price, which tells you immediately whether a supplier's 'cheap' unit price still makes sense once shipping and duty are added, especially relevant when comparing air freight speed against ocean freight cost savings.",
  "formula": "Duty = FOB unit price × units × duty rate%; Landed cost/unit = FOB price + (freight + duty + fixed fees) ÷ units.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=landed-cost-china",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "fobPrice",
      "label": "FOB unit price",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 4.2,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "units",
      "label": "Units in shipment",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2000,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "freight",
      "label": "Total freight cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1800,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "dutyRate",
      "label": "Duty rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 12,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "brokerFees",
      "label": "Customs & brokerage fees (flat)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 350,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "landedPerUnit",
      "label": "Landed cost per unit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "markupPct",
      "label": "Markup over FOB price",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "duty",
      "label": "Total duty owed",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "totalExtra",
      "label": "Total freight + duty + fees",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "goodsValue",
      "label": "Total declared goods value",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "FOB unit price: 4.2 $",
      "Units in shipment: 2000",
      "Total freight cost: 1800 $",
      "Duty rate: 12 %",
      "Customs & brokerage fees (flat): 350 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Landed cost per unit: $5.78",
      "Markup over FOB price: 37.6%",
      "Total duty owed: $1,008",
      "Total freight + duty + fees: $3,158",
      "Total declared goods value: $8,400"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter fob unit price ($).",
      "Enter units in shipment.",
      "Enter total freight cost ($).",
      "Enter duty rate (%).",
      "Enter customs & brokerage fees (flat) ($).",
      "Read your landed cost per unit on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "fobPrice": 2.52,
        "units": 1200,
        "freight": 1100,
        "dutyRate": 7.199999999999999,
        "brokerFees": 200
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "fobPrice": 4.2,
        "units": 2000,
        "freight": 1800,
        "dutyRate": 12,
        "brokerFees": 350
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "fobPrice": 6.720000000000001,
        "units": 3200,
        "freight": 2900,
        "dutyRate": 19.200000000000003,
        "brokerFees": 550
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What's typically missing from a landed cost estimate?",
      "a": "Inland trucking on both ends, warehouse receiving labor, insurance on the shipment, and currency conversion spread are the most commonly forgotten costs. For a first shipment, add a 5-8% buffer on top of this calculation until you know your actual all-in cost."
    },
    {
      "q": "How do I find my duty rate?",
      "a": "Look up your product's HTS (Harmonized Tariff Schedule) code on the USITC website or ask your customs broker to classify it. Duty rates vary widely by product category, from 0% on some goods to over 25% on others, and misclassification can trigger penalties."
    },
    {
      "q": "Should I use air or ocean freight?",
      "a": "Ocean freight costs far less per unit for large shipments but takes 25-40 days versus 5-10 for air. Run this calculator with both freight costs to see the per-unit cost difference, then weigh it against how much a 3-4 week delay costs you in stockouts or cash flow."
    },
    {
      "q": "Are there extra tariffs beyond standard duty?",
      "a": "Yes, Section 301 tariffs on many China-origin goods can add anywhere from 7.5% to 25% on top of standard duty rates. Confirm with your broker whether your HTS code carries an active Section 301 tariff before finalizing pricing."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/tariff-duty-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/contribution-margin-sku",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/amazon-fba-fee-profit"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Landed Cost Calculator (China Import) (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/landed-cost-china)"
}