Landed Cost Calculator — Free Import Cost Tool
Stop managing margins with your supplier price. Enter your product details and see the true per-unit cost the moment it hits your dock.
Landed Cost Calculator
Enter your import details below — calculation is instant
Want this for every product, automatically?
SupplyChainStack tracks landed cost across your full catalog with real-time freight & duty updates.
What Is Landed Cost?
Landed cost is the total cost to acquire one unit of inventory at your receiving dock — not just the supplier quote. It's the number every buyer should know before calculating a margin, setting a price, or approving a purchase order.
Most operators track "product cost" — the price on the invoice. But the invoice is just the starting point. By the time your product clears customs and arrives at your warehouse, you've paid for freight, insurance, duty, brokerage, and a stack of port fees. Miss any of these, and your margin math is wrong.
The formula: Landed Cost = Purchase Price + Freight + Customs Duty + Insurance + Brokerage + Port Fees
Why Your Real Margin Is Lower Than You Think
Margin math done on supplier price alone will consistently overstate profitability. The gap gets worse as you move product further — China imports typically carry 25-40% overhead above product cost; Mexico truck imports run closer to 8-15%.
Freight mode matters enormously. Air freight to the US from Asia costs 4-6× more per pound than ocean LCL. If you're air-freighting to meet a stockout, your margin on those units takes a real hit — one many operators don't account for.
Hidden Costs Most Importers Miss
- First-mile charges: Getting product from your factory to the export port. Often $50-200 per shipment.
- ISF (Importer Security Filing): Required for ocean imports to the US. Typically $50-100 per shipment.
- Destination drayage: Trucking from the port to your warehouse or 3PL. $200-600 depending on distance.
- Customs examination fees: If CBP selects your shipment for exam, add $300-1,500+.
- Demurrage & detention: If your container sits at port more than the free days, charges start accruing fast — $100-300/day.
- FBA receiving / 3PL prep: If you ship to Amazon FBA or a 3PL, add receiving, labeling, and prep fees.
- Currency risk: If you pay suppliers in RMB or EUR, exchange rate moves between PO and payment can add 1-3%.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your product purchase price, quantity, origin, shipping mode, and weight. The calculator estimates freight based on industry-average rates for your lane and mode, then adds standard brokerage, insurance, and port fees. You enter the duty rate — use the USITC HTS database to look up the exact rate for your HS code.
The margin calculator shows the difference between margin on product cost and margin on full landed cost. Enter your retail or wholesale selling price to see the real picture.
Note: These are planning estimates. Get actual quotes from your freight forwarder and customs broker before making purchasing decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Track Landed Cost Across Your Entire Catalog
SupplyChainStack connects to your purchase orders and gives you real-time landed cost per SKU — with alerts when freight rates or duty rates change your margins.