The formula
Total = Dutiable + (Dutiable × Duty%) + (Dutiable × Levies%) + Clearing + Inland, where Dutiable = Goods + Shipping
The dutiable base approximates CIF by using goods plus shipping — adequate for screening, since insurance is typically under half a percent of goods value. The combined levies input absorbs the alphabet of statutory charges (ECOWAS levy, inspection fees, network charges, development levies) that vary by country.
What this model deliberately omits: import VAT (often recoverable for VAT-registered businesses, and structured with a cascade the Landed Cost Calculator handles) and payment/FX costs (add via the Transfer Cost Calculator). Know what your screening number excludes.
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter goods and shipping
The supplier’s quote and your freight estimate — a forwarder indication is fine at screening stage.
- 2
Set duty and combined levies
Your best-known duty rate for the category, plus the sum of statutory levies your clearing agent quotes for your market.
- 3
Add local costs
Clearing agent fee and transport from port to your warehouse.
- 4
Judge the uplift
If the cost uplift over goods value still leaves your margin intact, proceed to full landed-cost analysis and supplier verification.
Screening discipline: kill bad orders early
The most expensive import mistake is discovering unprofitability late — after deposits are paid and goods are on the water. A screening calculation at inquiry stage costs five minutes and kills doomed orders before money moves. The uplift percentage is the killer metric: if a 35% import uplift meets a 30% gross margin category, no negotiation on the far end will rescue the order.
Screen sensitivity matters too: rerun with duty two points higher and shipping 20% higher. Orders that only work under best-case assumptions are not orders — they are bets.
The supplier risk that sits beside the cost
A correct cost model on a fraudulent or non-performing supplier is still a total loss. Cost screening and counterparty screening belong together: before the deposit leaves, verify the supplier’s registration, export history and banking details match the entity you think you are paying. Most import fraud is not exotic — it is a deposit wired to an unverified counterparty.
KeyBS Pay pairs the payment with the verification: supplier verification across major sourcing markets, TradeScore (0–100) risk context, and escrow-workflow payment structures where eligible — so the money and the diligence travel together.
Common use cases
Order screening
A five-minute go/no-go before engaging deeply with a supplier quote.
Freight mode decisions
Compare sea versus air by swapping the shipping input and watching the uplift move.
Market comparison
Screen the same goods through two destination markets with different duty and levy stacks.
Cash planning
Estimate total cash out (goods + costs) and when it falls due across the order cycle.
Automate this with the API
Generate an indicative deposit/balance payment timeline for the same order.
curl "https://keybs.io/api/v1/tools/payment-plan?value=15000&deposit_pct=30&lead_weeks=4&ship_weeks=6" \ -H "x-api-key: YOUR_FREE_KEY"Free Tools API docs and key registration
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the Landed Cost Calculator?
This is the screening version: six inputs, no VAT cascade, no per-unit math. The Landed Cost Calculator adds insurance, the duty-then-VAT sequence and per-unit costing for pricing decisions. Screen here, price there.
What levies should the combined rate include?
Country-dependent: regional levies (e.g. ECOWAS CET components), inspection and network charges, and category levies. Your clearing agent can quote the stack for your market and HS category in one line — that figure is this input.
Is import VAT part of my cost or not?
For VAT-registered businesses it is usually recoverable input tax — a cash-flow cost, not a P&L cost — which is why this screen excludes it. For non-registered importers it is a real cost: use the Landed Cost Calculator, which models it.
How accurate is a screening estimate?
Typically within 10–15% when duty and levy rates are right — enough to kill bad orders and green-light good ones. The residual error sits in freight volatility and fee tails. Treat it as a screen, and confirm with a clearing-agent pro-forma before committing.
When should I verify the supplier?
Before any money moves — including the "small sample" payment fraudsters use to establish trust. Registration lookup, export history and bank-detail matching catch most problems, and take days, not weeks. KeyBS Pay supplier verification covers major sourcing markets from $29.
What payment structure protects an import order?
Deposit-and-balance with documentation triggers is standard: commonly 30% to start production, 70% against shipping documents. Escrow-workflow structures, where eligible, add a custody layer. Model the legs with the Supplier Payment Calculator.
Corridors, tools and reading for this calculator
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