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Tool · landed cost · rules checked September 2026

Landed-Cost Estimator: What a Parcel From China Really Costs You

Updated · by the Alibaba Spreadsheet editors

Short answer

Landed cost is what an item really costs once it's at your door: goods + shipping + duty and tax. The 2026 rules for small parcels from China: EU — a flat €3 duty per item category on parcels under €150 since July 1, 2026, plus VAT. UK — no customs duty up to £135, 20% VAT at checkout. US — no duty-free allowance since August 29, 2025. Canada — duty and tax above CAD $20 for most parcels. Australia — 10% GST on goods of A$1,000 or less. The estimator below does the arithmetic; it runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere.

€3per item category, EU
£135UK no-duty limit
$0US duty-free allowance
A$1,000Australian GST threshold

8 finds to run through the estimator

Pick one or two of these, add their USD prices, and estimate a parcel. Tap a card for the listing and exact price on repbuysheet.com. If none of these is quite right, the source catalog runs to 10,000+ products — the same photos, prices and links, just many more of them.

Sponsored links. Photos, names and buttons open the listing on repbuysheet.com, with every photo, the size options and the seller link. Prices are that catalog's USD and CNY figures at the time of our check.

Estimate your landed cost

An estimate, not a customs decision. "Kinds of goods" means categories such as tees, trainers and bags — three kinds, even if you have five tees. Standard VAT rates are used for the EU examples; reduced rates, carrier handling fees and product-specific duties above the thresholds aren't included. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

How the estimator works it out

It applies each market's small-parcel rule to the numbers you enter, then adds everything up:

  • EU, under €150: duty = €3 × kinds of goods; VAT = country rate × (goods + shipping + duty). Over €150 the flat rule doesn't apply and ordinary duty depends on the goods, so we show VAT only.
  • UK, £135 or less: no customs duty; VAT = 20% × (goods + shipping), normally charged when you pay. Above £135, duty depends on the goods.
  • Australia, A$1,000 or less: GST = 10% × (goods + shipping), collected at checkout.
  • Canada: above CAD $20 we show the 5% federal GST as a floor; provinces with HST charge more, and duty depends on the goods.
  • US: duty applies to every parcel, but the rate depends on the product and on current tariffs on Chinese goods, which have changed repeatedly — so we show goods + shipping and flag that duty comes on top.

Finally it divides the landed total by the number of items, because landed cost per item is the number that tells you whether a find is still a good deal.

Worked example: the same parcel in three countries

Four items worth 120 in local currency, two kinds of goods (say, hoodies and caps), 30 in shipping:

One parcel, three destinations (estimates)
DestinationDutyVAT / GSTLanded totalPer item
Germany (€)€6.00€29.64€185.64€46.41
United Kingdom (£)£0£30.00£180.00£45.00
Australia (A$)A$0A$15.00A$165.00A$41.25

Calculated with the formulas above: Germany VAT 19% × (120 + 30 + 6). Currencies differ, so compare the method, not the totals across rows.

The German line shows the EU rule at work: two kinds of goods cost €6 in duty, and VAT is charged on that duty as well. Put the same parcel together with a third kind of goods and duty rises to €9.

Verdict: In the EU, fewer kinds of goods per parcel means less duty. In the UK, staying under £135 of goods keeps duty at zero.

The 2026 small-parcel rules, market by market

Import rules for small parcels from China, September 2026
MarketRule nowIn practice
United StatesNo duty-free allowance: the $800 de minimis ended for China on May 2, 2025 and for every country on August 29, 2025.Assume duty on every parcel.
European UnionFrom July 1, 2026, parcels under €150 pay a flat €3 duty per item category, plus VAT through IOSS.Fewer item types, fewer €3 charges.
United KingdomUp to £135: no customs duty, VAT charged at the point of sale. Repeal expected by October 2028 at the latest.Still the easiest big market.
CanadaPostal parcels, and courier parcels from outside the US and Mexico, owe duty and tax above CAD $20.Nearly every haul is taxed.
AustraliaGoods worth A$1,000 or less: 10% GST collected when you pay.GST up front, not at the door.

Sources: Council of the EU (Dec 12, 2025), GOV.UK, a CBP summary via importcostcalculator.com, CBSA and the Australian Taxation Office.

Two rules are moving targets. The UK has said its £135 relief will be repealed, expected by October 2028 at the latest. And US tariffs on Chinese goods have changed several times since 2025, which is why the estimator doesn't guess a US duty rate. Declare values truthfully in every case: under-declaring is illegal and can get a parcel held or fined.

Landed-cost estimator questions

What is landed cost?

The total cost of an item once it reaches you: the goods, international shipping, and any duty and VAT or GST. Dividing it by the number of items gives the real price per piece.

How much is the EU's €3 duty?

Since July 1, 2026, parcels worth under €150 pay €3 for each category of goods inside, with VAT on top. Two kinds of goods pay €6, three pay €9.

Is there duty on UK parcels under £135?

No customs duty; 20% VAT is charged at the point of sale. The relief is expected to be repealed by October 2028 at the latest.

Why doesn't the estimator calculate US duty?

Because US duty on Chinese goods depends on the product and on tariffs that have changed several times since 2025. Since August 29, 2025 every parcel owes duty, so budget for it on top.

What are Canada's and Australia's rules?

Canada charges duty and tax above CAD $20 on most parcels from China. Australia collects 10% GST at checkout on goods of A$1,000 or less.

Does the estimator store what I type?

No. It runs entirely in your browser and sends nothing to us or anyone else.

Landed-cost & duty estimator: follow-up reading

Landed-cost & duty estimator: evidence and dates

Researched by the Alibaba Spreadsheet editors and last checked on . Status, fees and review counts on this page trace back to the links below; where two sources disagree we say so instead of picking one. The product cards come from repbuysheet.com, and we dropped every listing whose lead photo belonged to a different item.