Reshoring & Tariff Strategy worked example

Import Duty Scenario Cost at 18% effective duty rate: a worked example

This worked example runs the import duty scenario cost numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 18% effective duty rate instead of the typical 25%. Models the annual import-duty exposure for a tariff scenario including the effective rate and fixed brokerage and bond costs.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Annual import value units: 30,000 units/yr (held at the documented default)
  • Customs value per unit: 12 $/unit (held at the documented default)
  • Effective duty rate: 18 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 25)
  • Brokerage and bond cost: 9,000 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Annual duty exposure ($) = imported units x customs value per unit x effective duty rate% + brokerage and bond.
  • Total import duty scenario cost works out to 73,800 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Import duty scenario cost per unit works out to 2.46 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Variable import duty scenario cost works out to 64,800 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed import duty scenario cost adder works out to 9,000 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where effective duty rate sits at 25% and the headline result is 99,000 $, this scenario comes in 25.45% below the baseline at 73,800 $.
  • Use it when a tariff rate changes, when classifying a new part, or when comparing the duty burden of sourcing from different countries. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Total import duty scenario cost: 73,800 $ (headline result)
  • Import duty scenario cost per unit: 2.46 $ / piece
  • Variable import duty scenario cost: 64,800 $
  • Fixed import duty scenario cost adder: 9,000 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Import Duty Scenario Cost calculator, set effective duty rate to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.