To ensure that shipping from China to USA is as efficient as possible, it is important to understand the amount of import costs. In the United States, imported goods are subject to customs duties, which are essentially a percentage of the value of the cargo.
However, it is important to remember that the amount varies for different categories of goods. It depends on the country of origin, type of cargo, and other factors. All these rates can be found in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). Shipping costs from China to the US include several components that are worth paying attention to. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Customs duties
Importers are required to pay customs fees. However, if these are goods for personal use that cost less than $800, they are usually not subject to import duties. There are some exceptions:
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Tobacco
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Alcohol
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Perfumes
Tariffs under Section 301
These duties were imposed on thousands of goods from China in 2018. Therefore, when importing from this country, it is important to carefully check the category of your goods. The Section 301 tariffs are divided into four lists. They include different products and exemptions.
Anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD)
This type of duty is necessary to protect the country’s industry where the goods are imported. In the case of lower prices for products than in the United States, anti-dumping duties are imposed. The USITC is responsible for their implementation. Countervailing duties are levied when export subsidies make the sale of certain goods uncompetitive for the national industry.
Merchandise Processing Fees (MPF)
Warehousing in USA also requires certain costs. In this case, the amount of the fee depends on the value of the cargo. If it is less than $2,500, importers pay $2.22, $6.66, or $9.99 per shipment. For cargoes worth more than $2,500, the fee is 0.3464% of the value of the goods. If the freight is delivered by sea, it will also be necessary to pay port charges (HMF). Their rate is 0.125% of the value of the cargo.
Therefore, when importing from China to the United States, it is worth remembering the list of necessary customs procedures and their costs. To calculate properly, it is important to be able to determine the category of your goods correctly and, of course, use official information on all customs duties.