Tariff Simulator

The simulator models total US landed duty for a shipment and lets you run what-if scenarios. You enter an HTS code, a country of origin, and a destination, and it layers the trade measures that apply, the Section 122 baseline, Section 232 duties on steel, aluminum, auto, and furniture, and the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods across Lists 1-3 and 4B, into a single modeled cost. Then you can change an input, swap the origin or the code, and see how the landed cost moves. It is published as a free SoftwareApplication, so there is no login. Unlike a rate lookup, which answers what rate applies, the simulator answers what happens to my cost if I source this differently, which is the question behind most real sourcing decisions.

They sit at different depths of the same workflow. The tariff calculator is a fast single-shipment tool: enter one HTS code, one customs value, and an origin, and get an estimated duty in seconds. The tariff simulator is built for scenario work, layering the Section 122 baseline, Section 232, and Section 301 measures and comparing origins, codes, and sourcing options side by side so you can model a whole catalog or test a supplier switch. Most importers start with the calculator for a quick gut-check on a specific product, then move to the simulator when they are planning across a range of SKUs or weighing a change of origin. Both draw on the same rate logic maintained by our brokerage team, so the numbers stay consistent between the quick estimate and the deeper model.

The lookup tool returns a single applicable rate for one HTS code and origin, a reference figure. The simulator is a modeling tool that takes rates like that and builds them into a total landed-cost scenario, then lets you compare scenarios by changing inputs. In short, the lookup answers what rate applies, while the simulator answers what happens to my landed cost if I change something. Use the lookup when you just need to confirm a rate, and switch to the simulator when you are weighing sourcing options or stress-testing a catalog against a new measure. The two share the same underlying rate data, so a rate you confirm in the lookup flows consistently into any scenario you build in the simulator, and into the calculator when you need a dollar duty on one shipment.

A what-if scenario is a side-by-side comparison of the same product sourced under different conditions. You model the baseline, say a product of Chinese origin carrying Section 301, then change one input, the origin, the HTS code, or a measure, and the simulator recalculates the landed cost so you can see the difference. Because Section 301 applies only to Chinese goods and Section 232 and free trade agreement treatment vary by country, moving an origin can change the landed cost sharply. That is the core sourcing question the simulator is built to answer: if I shift this supplier to another country, what does it do to my total duty? Reading those scenarios against a US tariff rates table by country turns a vague hunch about sourcing into a number you can defend in a purchase-order decision.

Section 122 refers to a baseline tariff the simulator uses as the floor before origin-specific measures stack on top. In the model it is the first layer: the simulator applies the baseline, then adds Section 232 duties where the product scope applies, and the Section 301 add-on for Chinese-origin goods. Treating it as the starting layer matters because a scenario built only on the MFN base rate would understate the modeled landed cost by leaving the baseline out. The simulator is kept aligned to the policy in force, so the baseline it applies reflects the current measure rather than a stale figure. If the baseline changes, the scenarios you run change with it, which is one reason we pair the simulator with a tracker that flags when a measure on your codes moves.

The simulator models Section 232 duties across the product scopes where they apply, covering steel and aluminum, and the auto and furniture measures. Section 232 duties are US trade-remedy tariffs tied to specific product categories, so they attach only when your HTS code falls within the covered scope. When it does, the simulator layers the 232 duty on top of the baseline, and it can stack alongside a Section 301 add-on on the same shipment, so a steel product of Chinese origin can carry the baseline, a 232 duty, and a 301 duty at once. Because 232 scopes are defined at the product level and can shift with policy, a borderline classification is exactly where a broker review pays off, since whether your specific code sits inside a 232 scope changes the modeled landed cost materially.

When the origin is China, the simulator adds the Section 301 tariff for your HTS code from Lists 1-3 and 4B into the modeled landed cost. Section 301 tariffs are additional US duties on specific goods of Chinese origin, and they stack on top of the baseline and any Section 232 duty. For many China imports this add-on is the largest single layer, which is why a scenario that ignores it badly understates the true landed cost. The lists were built in tranches and are revised through review cycles and exclusion processes, so the simulator is kept aligned to the current lists. Running a what-if that swaps China for another origin is one of the most common uses of the simulator, precisely because dropping the Section 301 layer can reshape the landed-cost math for a whole catalog.

Yes, where an origin qualifies. If the country of origin in your scenario has a US free trade agreement covering the product, the simulator applies the preferential treatment, which can reduce the base rate or bring it to zero. That preference is not automatic: the goods have to meet the agreement's rules of origin and usually be supported by a valid claim on entry. In a what-if, a free trade agreement origin often looks dramatically cheaper than a Section 301 origin, which is exactly the kind of comparison the simulator is built to surface. Whether your specific product actually qualifies is a determination a broker confirms, so treat an attractive FTA scenario as a lead to verify rather than a done deal. Applied correctly, agreement preferences are one of the most effective ways to lower landed cost legally.

The simulator accepts an HTS code from 2 to 10 digits, so you can start rough and refine. A 2 or 4 digit entry models at the chapter or heading level, which is useful for early exploration, while a full 10 digit code gives the sharpest scenario because the rate and the applicable measures can differ between subheadings that look similar. For a real sourcing decision you want the full code, since a scenario built on a broad code can miss a Section 232 scope or a specific list assignment. The simulator lets you search by description to find the code, but for anything ambiguous, have a licensed broker confirm the classification. The model is only as sharp as the code, so a short classification check up front keeps a promising scenario from resting on the wrong number.

No. The simulator is a planning and modeling tool, not a binding customs ruling. It produces a close, layered estimate of landed duty based on the HTS code, origin, and destination you enter, but the duty on an actual entry depends on the final classification, the verified customs value, the precise measures in force on the entry date, and any exclusions or programs that apply. It also focuses on the duty layers rather than merchandise processing fees, harbor maintenance fees, or brokerage charges, which are separate landed-cost lines. Use a scenario to decide direction, then have a licensed broker confirm the classification and the applicable measures before you file. The simulator is designed to make a sourcing decision well before the entry, when you are still choosing suppliers, not to replace the formal entry calculation.

Yes. The measures the simulator layers change often, so a scenario is only as current as the rules behind it. The simulator ties into the tariff tracker, so once a what-if turns into a real sourcing plan, you can watch the exact HTS codes and origins in that scenario and get alerted when a measure on them moves. It also connects to the Captain Control Tower platform, so the codes you model, the entries we file, and the shipments we move sit in one place rather than scattered across tools. That integration is what turns a one-off scenario into a monitored decision: you model the sourcing move here, then let the tracker tell you if a rate change undercuts the assumptions the scenario was built on before it costs you on an entry.

The simulator is free to use on your own and is a genuine help for planning, but a formal United States import entry is filed by a licensed customs broker or a qualified self-filer, and the broker is who verifies the classification and origin every scenario depends on. In practice most importers use the simulator to weigh sourcing options, then bring in a broker to confirm the HTS code, the origin, and the applicable Section 232 or 301 scope before the decision is locked in. That matters most for high-value programs or uncertain classifications, where a wrong self-model is expensive. Because our brokerage and trade advisory teams sit inside CargoTrans, the scenario you model here and the entry we file are handled by the same team, so there is no gap between the plan and the filing.

Yes, the simulator is a free tool, published as a SoftwareApplication, and it runs with no login, so you can model scenarios anonymously. It is built for fast planning rather than record-keeping, so we recommend saving or exporting any scenario you want to keep into your own model. If you want the codes and origins in a scenario monitored for rate changes, or a broker to review a classification and confirm the modeled landed cost, that is where you would set up an account with our team and connect to the tariff tracker and the Captain Control Tower platform. For a one-off what-if, though, you can use the simulator freely, then reach CargoTrans Inc. in Manhasset, NY at +1-516-593-5871 or info@cargotransinc.com only if you want a scenario verified.

The simulator reflects the tariff structure in force at the time you run it, layering the Section 122 baseline, Section 232 metals and other product actions, and the Section 301 lists onto the base HTS rate. Trade policy moves quickly, so headline actions can change between one quarter and the next as new orders, exclusions, or court rulings take effect. Treat any single run as a well-grounded estimate for planning rather than a binding quote, and re-run it when policy shifts or before you finalize a sourcing decision. For a formal duty determination on a specific entry, a licensed customs broker confirms the classification and the exact rate that applies on the day of import.