Breakthrough Studio · Operator Tools

What does it actually cost to land your order in the US?

Shipping from Canada to the US looks simple until the border gets involved. Duty, brokerage, and the rules quietly decide whether cross-border eats your margin. CUSMA origin decides whether you pay duty at all, and since the US ended its $800 de minimis in 2025, even small parcels are now dutiable. Plug in your numbers and see the real landed cost.

$
The customs value of the goods.
$
What it costs to move the parcel across the border.
Goods that meet CUSMA rules of origin (made in Canada, the US, or Mexico with qualifying content) can enter duty-free.
%
Since these goods do not qualify under CUSMA, duty applies. Enter the rate for your HTS classification. Many goods are low or zero, some apparel and textiles are 15 to 30 percent. Look yours up or ask a broker.
$
Customs brokerage, disbursement, and other border fees.
Estimated duty owed
$0
Duty estimated on the declared value at your product's rate, after CUSMA origin is applied.
Enter your numbers to see how duty lands.
Landed cost per shipment
$0
What it really costs to get this order to a US doorstep, declared value plus shipping, brokerage, and duty.
Here is the duty-deferral angle. Bringing inventory into a US or Canadian bonded or strategic hub lets you defer or avoid duty on what you have not sold yet, then ship duty-paid and fast domestically. One partner, one network.

This is a directional estimate, not customs, tax, or legal advice. Duty rates depend on HTS classification and can change, and de minimis, CUSMA, and border rules and thresholds shift over time. Confirm your classification and rates with a licensed customs broker before relying on these numbers.

How cross-border cost actually works

No black box. Here is exactly what the calculator runs, and the three rules that decide whether the border quietly eats your margin.

1. The US de minimis is gone (low-value parcels are now dutiable)

Old rule: value < $800 → duty-free. Since Aug 29, 2025: no de minimis, duty applies to every shipment.

For years, US Section 321 let parcels under 800 USD clear without duty or formal entry, which is what made cheap direct-to-consumer cross-border work. That exemption ended on August 29, 2025. A low-value DTC parcel is now treated like any other import: duty applies based on HTS classification and origin, and value alone no longer earns a free pass. Whether you ship single orders or commercial freight, plan for duty on both.

2. CUSMA origin (qualifying goods enter duty-free)

If goods qualify under CUSMA rules of origin → duty = $0 (with proper documentation)

Goods that qualify as Canada, US, or Mexico origin, meaning they are made in the region with enough qualifying content under CUSMA rules of origin, can enter the US duty-free when you have the documentation to prove it. Goods that do not qualify pay the duty rate tied to their HTS classification. Qualification is a real test, not a checkbox, so keep your origin documentation airtight and confirm it before you rely on the zero.

3. Duty deferral and the hub play (the cash-flow move)

Inventory in a strategic hub → defer duty on unsold stock, ship duty-paid and fast domestically

A strategic inbound hub, such as a bonded or duty-deferral facility, lets a brand bring inventory across the border and hold it without paying duty on what has not sold yet. You defer or avoid that cost until goods actually ship, then distribute domestically with fast, predictable delivery. The result is smoother cash flow and better speed to the customer, instead of paying duty up front on inventory that may sit for months.

Ready to get back to working on the business instead of in it?

If you are packing orders at the kitchen table and pricing shipping by gut, that is time you are not spending on the brand. We are a Vancouver 3PL built by brand operators who co-founded Tru Earth and ran this exact playbook. Tell us your brand, your volume, and where you ship, and we will build a fulfillment strategy around how you actually operate.

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