- Free Tool
Total Landed Cost Calculator
Add your goods value, freight, import duty, and agent fees to calculate your complete cost per unit when importing from Yiwu.
30%
avg. cost saving vs DIY
200+
countries served
20+
years sourcing experience
What Is Landed Cost and Why Does It Matter?
Landed cost is the true total cost of getting a product from the supplier to your door. It includes the goods price, sea freight, import duty, VAT or GST, port handling fees, customs brokerage, agent fees, and last-mile delivery. Many importers only factor in the goods price and freight — then get surprised by a customs bill.
Knowing your landed cost before you order is the difference between a profitable import and a loss. Use this calculator to stress-test your margins before committing to a purchase order. If the landed cost per unit is too high, you have three levers: negotiate a lower goods price, find a more competitive shipping route, or reduce customs costs by verifying your HS code with a broker.
The Biggest Hidden Costs When Importing from Yiwu
Import duty is the most commonly underestimated cost, especially for apparel, bags, and footwear where rates can exceed 20–35% in the US and EU. Use our import duty lookup to check your product category and destination country before calculating landed cost.
VAT or GST is often refundable if you are a VAT-registered business in the UK, EU, or Australia — but you still need to pay it upfront at the border. For non-VAT-registered buyers (small businesses, Amazon sellers), this becomes a hard cost.
Agent and handling fees are real costs that DIY importers often skip in their calculations, then discover they needed the service anyway when things go wrong. A sourcing agent fee of $300–$500 for a $10,000 order is 3–5% — often less than the mistakes it prevents.
How to Reduce Your Landed Cost
The single biggest lever is the goods price. Our team at YiwuBuying negotiates directly with factory-level suppliers across all five Yiwu Market districts. Buyers who work with us typically pay 20–30% less than buyers who source independently, which more than covers our fee. We also consolidate orders from multiple suppliers into one container, cutting LCL freight costs significantly.
Start by using our MOQ reference table to understand typical order sizes, then run the CBM calculator to estimate your shipment volume, and the freight estimator to get a freight cost range. Bring all three numbers into this calculator for a complete landed cost picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is VAT part of my landed cost?
VAT or GST is charged at the destination port and is part of your cash outlay. However, if you are a VAT-registered business, you can usually reclaim it on your next VAT return. For businesses that are not VAT-registered, it is a permanent cost. Include it in your landed cost calculation regardless — it affects your cashflow even if it is later recovered.
What is a typical profit margin for Yiwu imports?
Healthy margins for Yiwu imports typically run 40–100% above landed cost for wholesale, and 100–300% for retail or e-commerce. If your landed cost per unit is $5 and you sell for $8 wholesale, that is a 60% markup. Products that land below $10/unit and sell for $20+ on Amazon or eBay are the most common success stories among our clients.
How accurate is this landed cost estimate?
The calculator is as accurate as the inputs you provide. Goods value and unit count are exact if you have a pro forma invoice. Freight and duty are estimates — use our freight estimator and duty lookup for the best available figures. Customs and port fees vary by country and broker. For a firm figure, request a formal quote from a licensed customs broker in your country.
Does landed cost include import duty on the freight cost?
In most countries, import duty is calculated on the CIF value — Cost + Insurance + Freight. This means your freight and insurance costs are included in the base on which duty is calculated. The calculator handles this correctly: duty is applied to goods value plus freight plus insurance combined.