Key takeaways
- The factory unit price is only one line of the landed cost; freight, duty, VAT and local costs often decide whether a product is profitable.
- The calculator uses the rates you enter. Take duty and VAT from the official source for your product and market, never from a blog or a supplier.
- VAT can be reclaimable for VAT-registered importers; tick the box to see the cost without it.
- Run it twice: once for a trial order and once for a full order, because tooling and freight change the picture.
Landed cost calculator
Enter the unit price and quantity to see the landed cost.
0.00landed cost per unit
Total landed cost: 0.00 · The goods themselves are 0% of it
| Component | Total | Per unit |
|---|
How the calculator works
The goods value is the unit price multiplied by the quantity. The customs value used here is goods plus international freight plus cargo insurance, which is the common basis for duty in many markets. Duty is that value multiplied by your duty rate; any other import tax is calculated on the same base.
VAT or sales tax is applied to the customs value plus duty plus other import tax, which is how import VAT is normally built up. Tooling, inspection, broker fees and any agent fee are added as separate lines. Every line is shown in total and per unit so you can see which cost moves most when quantity or freight changes.
Check the basis for your market
The customs value, the VAT base and the treatment of tooling, royalties and freight differ between countries and sometimes between products. This tool is a planning aid. Confirm the valuation rules and rates with the customs authority of your destination market or a licensed customs broker.
Where to find each number
| Field | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Unit price and quantity | The factory quotation. Ask for price breaks at several quantities and run each one. |
| Tooling, moulds and samples | Quoted separately by the supplier for custom or branded products. Enter the one-off total, not a per-unit figure. |
| Inspection | A pre-shipment inspection quote from an inspection company, or the cost of the inspection steps agreed in your project. |
| International freight | A quote from your freight forwarder for the Incoterm you chose (EXW, FOB, CIF or DDP change what is included). |
| Customs duty and other import tax | The official tariff of your destination market for the exact commodity code of your product. |
| VAT or sales tax | The official rate in your market, and whether you can reclaim it as a registered business. |
| Broker, clearance and local delivery | Your customs broker and local carrier quotes. |
For a deeper explanation of each cost component see the China landed cost checklist, and for the UK import process see the UK import guide.
A simple way to use the result
- Run the calculator with the quotation for a trial order, then for the full order. Compare the per-unit landed cost.
- Subtract the landed cost per unit from the price you expect to sell at. That margin has to cover your marketing, returns and overheads.
- If the margin is thin, test which line you can change: a higher quantity tier, a different Incoterm, sea instead of air freight, or a different commodity classification confirmed with a broker.
- Send the result to your sourcing partner with the brief so the quotation is built around your target landed cost.
Frequently asked questions
Is this landed cost calculator accurate?
It is as accurate as the numbers you enter. It does the arithmetic transparently, but it does not know your duty rate, VAT rate or valuation rules. Take those from official sources for your market and product.
Does the calculator include customs duty and VAT automatically?
No. It deliberately starts with no duty or VAT rate so that you enter the rate that applies to your product and market. Duty depends on the commodity code and the destination; VAT depends on the country and on whether you can reclaim it.
Which currency should I use?
Any single currency, as long as every field uses it. If your quotation is in US dollars and your freight is in euros, convert one of them first.
Does LYBAM store the numbers I enter?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is sent to LYBAM or anyone else.
Related reading
China Landed Cost: A Practical Checklist
The 7 real cost components of landed cost when importing from China — product cost, tooling, inspection, freight, duty, VAT and agent fees.
UK Import Guide: Duty, VAT and the Import Process
The step-by-step process for importing from China into the UK post-Brexit — EORI, commodity codes, customs value, duty and VAT — plus common mistakes.
China Sourcing Glossary: MOQ, OEM, ODM & More
Real definitions for the sourcing terms that come up most in China product sourcing — MOQ, OEM, ODM, private label, white label, tooling, QC, EXW, FOB and CIF.
Want a quotation built around your target landed cost?
Send the product, quantity and destination market with your target cost. LYBAM replies with what it can confirm and what still needs confirming.