HomePostal outbound solutions Tools for shippers Dashboard Lite Item Quoter

Item Quoter

AI-powered U.S. commercial and postal duty calculations and HTS code classifications

Item Quoter helps you quickly calculate duty rates and costs for your products shipping internationally. Using AI-powered technology to generate accurate HTS codes, this tool provides instant duty calculations to help you understand costs before shipping, enabling better pricing and customer communication.

For online businesses without live duty calculation in checkout, Item Quoter provides the duty rates and cost estimates you need to determine appropriate product pricing strategies that account for international duties and taxes.

How to use Item Quoter

Go to Item Quoter
Enter product information
1. Describe your item clearly
2. For duty cost calculations:
  - Select the country of origin (where manufactured)
  - Enter the product price
3. To improve accuracy: Click (+) to add image URL, category, and/or material.
Select destination
1. Choose destination country (required for duty calculation)
2. Leave blank for universal 6-digit HS code
Generate duty rates
1. Click Get result
2. Review results including:
  - Postal and commercial U.S. duty rates and calculated duty amounts
  - HS code (6–14 digits depending on country)
  - Confidence scoring

Understanding your results

HS code length: Universal codes are 6 digits. Country-specific codes can be up to 14 digits and provide more precise duty rates.

Confidence score: Indicates how certain the AI is about the HTS classification and respective duty rates. Higher scores mean more accurate results.

Duty rate: The percentage charged by customs on your product type in the U.S.

Duty amount: The actual U.S. duty cost calculated by applying the duty rate to your product price.

Tips for best results

Be specific: Detailed descriptions produce more accurate HS codes and duty rates
Add context: Use the optional fields (image, category, material) for complex products
Include made-in country: Always specify country of origin for accurate duty calculations

Common use cases

Pricing strategy: Calculate duty costs to factor into international pricing
Customer communication: Provide accurate landed cost estimates to customers
Product research: Understand duty implications before adding new products
Compliance planning: Get classification codes for customs documentation

Frequently asked questions

How do I use Item Quoter?

Navigate to Item Quoter in Dashboard Lite. Enter your product information including a clear description, country of origin, and product price. Add optional details like image URL, category, or material to improve accuracy. Select your destination country (or leave blank for a universal 6-digit HS code), then click Get result to see the HS code, confidence score, duty rate, and calculated duty amount.

Why use Item Quoter?

Item Quoter helps you understand U.S. duty implications and costs before shipping, enabling better pricing strategies and customer communication. For businesses without live duty calculation at checkout, it provides the duty rates needed to determine appropriate international pricing. It's also valuable for product research, compliance planning, and providing accurate landed cost estimates to your customers.

I disagree with the HS code and duty rates provided. What should I do?

If you believe the HS code provided is incorrect, try refining your product description with more specific details or adding optional information like category and material to improve the AI's classification accuracy. HS code classification can be complex, and providing more context about your product—such as its specific materials, intended use, or technical specifications—often results in a more accurate classification and duty calculation.

Why are there different duties for postal vs commercial shipments?

As of August 29, 2025, the U.S. eliminated its de minimis threshold through Executive Order, meaning all shipments to the United States are now subject to duties regardless of value. However, the Executive Order created different duty structures for postal versus commercial shipments.

Postal shipments (sent via postal services like Royal Mail, Canada Post, Australia Post) receive reduced duty treatment. Only IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariffs apply to postal shipments, based on the country of origin where the item was manufactured. Standard MFN (Most Favored Nation) duty rates and other tariffs do not apply to postal shipments—at least temporarily, until CBP establishes new processes.

Commercial shipments (sent via UPS, FedEx, DHL, or other commercial carriers) are subject to all applicable duties, including IEEPA tariffs, MFN rates, and any other tariffs based on the product's HTS code and origin country.

This difference can result in significantly lower duty costs for postal shipments compared to commercial shipments for the same item. Item Quoter can help you understand these differences and calculate the actual duty costs based on your shipping method.

Is Item Quoter free?

Yes, Item Quoter is included with Dashboard Lite and is free for all Zonos customers. The free version is currently limited to U.S. use, and generous usage limits are coming soon.

Why did my duty rate change?

Duty rates can and do change, sometimes frequently depending on trade policies, international relations, and economic factors. In recent years, tariff rates have been changing relatively often due to evolving trade agreements and policy shifts. We recommend using Item Quoter periodically to check for any changes to duty rates that may affect your products and pricing strategies.

You quoted X but I was charged differently. Why?

Item Quoter provides estimates based on the information entered and current tariff rates. Actual duties charged may differ for several reasons: additional product details discovered during customs inspection, changes to tariff rates between quote and shipment, country-specific regulations or classifications, or differences in how customs authorities interpret product classifications. Tariff rates can also change over time. Item Quoter is designed as an estimation tool to help with planning and pricing, but final duty amounts are always determined by customs authorities.

What COO countries are not supported?

The following countries are not supported as country of origin (COO) in Item Quoter due to comprehensive U.S. sanctions and trade restrictions that prohibit or severely limit the importation of goods manufactured in these countries: