Import duty from China is not one number. It is a stack of separate charges on the customs value of your goods (what you paid for them, before freight). Here is what goes into it.
- Find the HTS code. Every product has a 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule code, and the code, not the product name, sets the rate. This is the step people get wrong. How to find your HTS code.
- Base duty (the MFN rate). The standard rate for that code, from the General column of the schedule. It runs from 0% (Free) up to about 30%. Most consumer goods sit between 0% and 10%.
- Section 301 tariffs. Extra China-specific tariffs on top of the base rate: 7.5% or 25% on the original lists, and 25% to 100% on goods added in the 2024 review. Section 301 list and rates.
- Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF). 0.3464% of the customs value, minimum $33.58, maximum $651.50 per formal entry.
- Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF). 0.125% of the customs value, ocean shipments only. Air freight does not pay it.
The total is base + Section 301 + MPF + HMF. Section 232 (steel and aluminum, 50%) can also apply, but that depends on the specific article, not the whole chapter.
Example. $10,000 of a product at a 3% base rate and 25% Section 301, shipped by ocean. Duty is $300 + $2,500 = $2,800, plus $34.64 MPF and $12.50 HMF. About $2,847 in duty and fees.
To skip the manual lookup, the DutyWise calculator does all five steps from a plain product description.