Import Duties & Tariffs

The duty rate you found on your home country's tariff schedule is not the rate you will pay in Asia. Import duties, VAT, consumption taxes, and provisional anti-dumping surcharges vary by market, by HS code, and sometimes by country of origin — and they change without announcement.

An exporter who prices based on a single assumed duty rate can lose margin on an entire container. We have seen a 12% assumed rate become 28% actual cost after VAT and surcharges — on a single shipment.

Our Import Duties & Tariffs service maps the true landed cost for your specific product across your target Asian markets, before you commit to a pricing model.

What This Service Covers

• HS code verification per destination market — because the same product can sit in different tariff chapters in different countries
• Duty rate lookup: base duty, VAT, consumption tax, and any applicable surcharges
• FTA and preferential rate assessment: checking whether a free trade agreement reduces your rate
• We also provide RCEP and CPTPP tariff analysis for food products as part of any multi-market assessment.
• Anti-dumping and safeguard duty screening: identifying provisional or active ADD measures that override standard rates
• Landed cost comparison across markets: so you choose destinations based on real cost, not guesswork

What Exporters Commonly Get Wrong

You want importer introductions — but you have not worked out whether your price lands competitively.

This is the gap we see most often. An importer will sample your product, run the landed-cost numbers, and compare you against the brand already on the shelf. If your real tax burden — duty, VAT, consumption tax, surcharges — pushes your shelf price above the incumbent, the introduction dies. You do not need another importer; you need a price that works in that market. And that starts with knowing the real tax you will pay.

Tax rates change — and your competitiveness shifts with them, whether you adjust your price or not.

China Customs adjusts its tariff schedule and imposes provisional anti-dumping duties with little notice. Japan reviews consumption-tax brackets. South Korea updates individual consumption tax lists.

A rate change does not require you to reprice — but it does change what your product actually costs on the shelf. An importer who was competitive last year may find your landed cost has crept above the local incumbent this year, and they will tell you — but you need to act, not just acknowledge their feedback. We track changes so you know where you stand before it becomes someone else's problem to report.

A report on your desk changes nothing.

We see exporters commission analyses, read them, and then wait for the "right time" to act. Your competitors are not waiting — they are already sampling, registering, and building relationships. Analysis without execution is just a slower way of losing the market. Our duty and tariff mapping gives you numbers you can act on, not a PDF that sits unread.

Assuming your home-country HS code applies everywhere.

The same product can fall under different tariff chapters in different Asian markets. A "canned tomato" classified under HS 2002 in the EU may map to a different subheading in China's tariff schedule — with a different duty rate.

Assuming the FTA rate applies automatically.

A free trade agreement exists on paper, but you must meet rules-of-origin requirements and obtain preferential origin certification to actually claim the reduced rate. Many exporters ship under standard MFN rates because they never filed the paperwork.

 Current EU–China tariff measures on brandy (up to 34.9% anti-dumping), pork and offal (up to 19.8%), and dairy (up to 42.7% countervailing) may affect applicable duty rates for certain product categories. For the latest position, see EU Food Exports to China: Understanding Tariff Risks (2026–2029).

On the Ground: A Tariff Surprise

A European olive oil exporter priced their China-bound shipments based on a 10% duty rate — the MFN rate for their HS category. What they did not account for: the 13% VAT applied on top of (duty + CIF value), a packaging inspection fee, and a customs brokerage surcharge. Their actual landed-cost add-on was closer to 25%. By the time the goods cleared customs, the margin they had built into their distributor pricing had disappeared. We helped them restructure the pricing model using DDP terms and identified a preferential rate under the EU-China partnership agreement that brought the effective add-on back to 17%. Read the full breakdown in our article on how to export food to China in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often do Asian tariff rates change?

China, Japan, and South Korea each publish annual tariff schedules, but provisional anti-dumping duties and safeguard measures can be imposed at any time. We monitor changes and flag them for clients.

Can I use the same HS code across all Asian markets?

Not safely. While the first 6 digits of an HS code are harmonised internationally, digits 7–8 (and beyond) are country-specific. A product classified one way in the EU may sit in a different subheading in China or Japan.

Does a free trade agreement automatically reduce my duty rate?

No. You must satisfy rules-of-origin requirements and provide preferential origin documentation (e.g., a certificate of origin) to claim the FTA rate. Without it, your goods clear under the standard MFN rate.

What is the difference between customs duty and VAT on imports?

Customs duty is calculated on the CIF value of the goods. VAT (or consumption tax) is typically calculated on (CIF value + customs duty), meaning it compounds. This is why the total tax burden is always higher than the duty rate alone.

Do you cover markets beyond China, Japan, and South Korea?

Yes. We map duty rates and landed costs across 13+ Asian markets including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and India — each with their own tariff schedules and tax structures.

For a real example of what happens when an HS code is misclassified, see our case study on HS code misclassification in Asia.

Need accurate duty rates for your product? Contact Specit Consulting for an initial assessment based on public data.