If you have ever sent or received goods to or from another country, you’re likely familiar with paying import duty. But have you noticed that the duties that you pay are different depending on what and where you’re importing/exporting? That’s because different countries have different duty rates based on the type of products being imported, the Harmonized System (HS) code, and other factors. The ways different countries assess duty are called valuation methods.
FOB (free on board)
Method for calculating import duties where the fees are calculated only on the cost of the goods sold. FOB is not calculated on the shipping, duty, insurance, etc.
List of countries that use the FOB valuation method:
ISO Code | Country Name |
AS | American Samoa |
AU | Australia |
BW | Botswana |
CA | Canada |
GU | Guam |
HT | Haiti |
LS | Lesotho |
NA | Namibia |
NZ | New Zealand |
SZ | Swaziland |
US | United States |
VI | Virgin Islands |
ZA | South Africa |
CIF (cost, insurance, and freight)
Method for calculating import duties where the tax is calculated on the cost of the order plus the cost of freight, insurance, and other costs (if any).
All other countries (any country not in one of the FOB lists above) use the CIF calculation method. It is the most widely used duty calculation method.