How do you calculate the impact of a tariff?

Multiply the quantity by the per-unit dutiable value, apply the effective tariff or capture rate, then add any fixed customs and brokerage costs. For 100 units at $45 dutiable value, an 80% capture factor, and a $250 fixed adder, the total impact is $3,850, or $38.50 per unit.

What does the capture factor represent?

It's the effective share of the rate-times-quantity base that actually lands as cost: an effective duty rate, a percentage of value subject to the tariff, or a coverage factor after exclusions. At 80% it means 80% of the variable base flows through to your cost, giving $3,600 of variable impact in the example.

What is the difference between total and per-unit tariff impact?

Total impact is the whole bill across the shipment, $3,850 here; per-unit spreads it over the quantity, $38.50 each. Per-unit is what you compare against the part's price to decide if you can absorb, pass through, or resource it.

How do fixed adjustments affect the tariff cost?

Fixed adders like brokerage, merchandise processing fees, or one-time filing costs don't scale with volume, so they hit small shipments hardest. The $250 here adds $2.50 per unit across 100 units but would add only $0.25 across 1,000 units, which is why volume dilutes fixed costs.

Can this calculator tell me my exact duty owed?

No. It gives a planning estimate. Actual duty depends on the correct HTS code, country-of-origin and substantial-transformation rules, Section 301/232 status, and any active exclusions. Use it to size the impact, then confirm with a customs broker before committing.

How do I model a tariff increase versus the current rate?

Run the calculator twice with the old and new effective rates in the capture factor and compare the totals; the difference is your incremental exposure. That delta is what you'd need to recover through price increases or offset by resourcing.

Supply Chain & Procurement calculator

Tariff Impact Calculator

Tariff impact is the added landed cost a duty imposes on an import, combining a variable charge across your volume with any fixed customs or brokerage adders. Sourcing managers, cost engineers, and supply chain leaders use it to quantify what a new or changed tariff actually does to a part's cost before it shows up on an invoice. With trade rules shifting quickly, a fast estimate of the dollar hit per unit is what drives repricing, resourcing, and reshoring decisions. Getting it on paper turns a policy headline into a number you can act on.

What this calculator does

Estimate tariff impact from import value, tariff rate, and brokerage cost.
Use it when tariff impact in supply chain and procurement is being put through a supply chain and procurement weighted-cost review.
It multiplies quantity by the dutiable rate and a capture factor, then adds a fixed adjustment, returning total and per-unit tariff cost.

Formula used

Weighted cost = quantity × rate × capture factor + fixed adjustment

Inputs explained

Annual import units: Dutiable units imported under this tariff line per year.
Customs value per unit: Declared dutiable value of each imported unit.
Effective tariff rate: Combined base plus Section 301/232 rate applied to customs value.
Brokerage and bond cost: Annual customs brokerage, merchandise processing, and bond fees.

How to use the result

Use it when a tariff is announced or changed and you need a quick landed-cost delta to decide on pricing or sourcing.
It's a planning estimate; actual duty depends on HTS classification, country of origin rules, and exclusions that this simplified model doesn't adjudicate.

Current U.S. benchmarks

U.S. manufacturing runs at 75.6% of capacity (Federal Reserve, May 2026). New factory orders are up 2.3% year over year (Census).
Sourcing currencies as of 2026-07-02 (Federal Reserve H.10): 6.7886 CNY and 17.4524 MXN per USD. Landed-cost comparisons move with these daily rates.
U.S. iron and steel imports ran $2.1B in May 2026 (Census International Trade). The U.S. ran a trade deficit of $0.4B in the category that month. Import volumes are the pressure gauge behind tariff and reshoring decisions.

Common questions

How do you calculate the impact of a tariff? Multiply the quantity by the per-unit dutiable value, apply the effective tariff or capture rate, then add any fixed customs and brokerage costs. For 100 units at $45 dutiable value, an 80% capture factor, and a $250 fixed adder, the total impact is $3,850, or $38.50 per unit.
What does the capture factor represent? It's the effective share of the rate-times-quantity base that actually lands as cost: an effective duty rate, a percentage of value subject to the tariff, or a coverage factor after exclusions. At 80% it means 80% of the variable base flows through to your cost, giving $3,600 of variable impact in the example.
What is the difference between total and per-unit tariff impact? Total impact is the whole bill across the shipment, $3,850 here; per-unit spreads it over the quantity, $38.50 each. Per-unit is what you compare against the part's price to decide if you can absorb, pass through, or resource it.
How do fixed adjustments affect the tariff cost? Fixed adders like brokerage, merchandise processing fees, or one-time filing costs don't scale with volume, so they hit small shipments hardest. The $250 here adds $2.50 per unit across 100 units but would add only $0.25 across 1,000 units, which is why volume dilutes fixed costs.
Can this calculator tell me my exact duty owed? No. It gives a planning estimate. Actual duty depends on the correct HTS code, country-of-origin and substantial-transformation rules, Section 301/232 status, and any active exclusions. Use it to size the impact, then confirm with a customs broker before committing.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.