# HS codes and landed cost for cross-border parcels

> Classify products to HS and HTS codes and calculate duties, taxes and landed cost for cross-border parcels in a dashboard, over an API or in Claude via MCP.

Source: https://border.bot
Last updated: 2026-10-09

Paste a product page or describe the product. border.bot returns the tariff code for the destination country and the duty, import tax and fees due when the parcel arrives.

[Create a free account](https://app.border.bot/signup) · [Try the free classifier](https://border.bot/tools/hs-code-classifier)

## How a shipment is handled

The example below follows a Heavyweight crew-neck T-shirt made in Vietnam and shipped to Los Angeles, United States.

### Read the product page

Paste a product URL or type a description. We read the title, brand, materials and price from the page and look for the country of origin in its product data or text. When the page doesn’t say where the item was made, we estimate it and show the evidence.

- Product page: https://shop.example/products/heavyweight-tee
- Title: Heavyweight crew-neck T-shirt
- Material: 100% cotton jersey knit
- Price: $24.00
- Made in: Vietnam, from “Made in Vietnam” on the product page

### Classify it for the destination

The product is matched against the destination’s tariff: the 10-digit HTS for the US, 10-digit commodity codes for the UK and Canada, CN and TARIC codes for the EU, and the 6-digit HS code for other countries. Each level of the code comes with its official description and a confidence score.

| Level | Code | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chapter | 61 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted |
| Heading | 6109 | T-shirts, singlets, tank tops and similar garments, knitted or crocheted |
| Subheading | 6109.10 | Of cotton |
| Tariff line | 6109.10.00.12 | The 10-digit US statistical line the shipment is declared under |

Confidence: High.

### Calculate duty, tax and fees

Duty, import tax and customs fees are calculated for that code, origin and destination, one line per charge with the rate used. Added to the goods and shipping, they give the landed cost.

| Line | Amount (USD) | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Goods | 24.00 | From the product page |
| Shipping | 6.50 | Your carrier rate |
| Duty | 5.40 | For this code and origin |
| Fees | 1.10 | Customs processing |
| Taxes | 0.00 | No import tax on this item |
| Landed cost | 37.00 | What the customer pays in total |

_Illustrative figures. Rates change, so run the calculator for a current answer._

### Charge it at checkout

With the landed cost known, you can collect duty and tax at checkout so the customer pays nothing on delivery, and the customs declaration carries the right code and origin. Every result is saved in your account.

Status: cleared and delivered to Los Angeles, United States.

## Classification

Send a product description, a product page URL or both, with the destination country. You get the tariff code that country’s customs expects, the official description at each level of the code, a confidence score, the reasoning and the closest alternatives.

Results with low confidence are flagged for review. For high-value or regulated goods, have a licensed customs broker confirm the code or ask customs for a binding ruling.

| Destination | Tariff | Code |
| --- | --- | --- |
| United States | Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) | 10 digits |
| United Kingdom | UK Global Tariff | 10 digits |
| European Union | Combined Nomenclature (CN) and TARIC | 8 or 10 digits |
| Canada | Customs Tariff | 10 digits |
| Other countries | Harmonized System (HS) | 6 digits |

[Try the free classifier](https://border.bot/tools/hs-code-classifier)

## Landed cost

Give an HS code, or a description to classify first, with the country of origin, the destination, the total goods value and the shipping cost. You get each duty, tax and fee line with the rate used, the de minimis check for the destination and the total in the destination’s currency.

Measures that apply only under certain conditions are listed separately and not added to the total. Carrier brokerage and handling fees are not included.

Destinations: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, European Union (all 27 member states). Other destinations are checked when you run a calculation, and you’re told if one isn’t covered yet.

How a landed cost is built, with hypothetical rates of 10% duty and 20% VAT for a destination that charges duty on goods plus shipping:

| Line | Calculation | Amount |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Goods | Invoice value | 100.00 |
| Shipping | Carrier rate | 10.00 |
| Customs value | Goods plus shipping | 110.00 |
| Duty | 10% of the customs value | 11.00 |
| Import VAT | 20% of customs value plus duty | 24.20 |
| Landed cost | Goods, shipping, duty and VAT | 145.20 |

[Try the free calculator](https://border.bot/tools/landed-cost-calculator)

## REST API

Classify and calculate from your own systems: the checkout, the product catalogue, an ERP or shipping software. Requests and responses are JSON over HTTPS.

```bash
curl https://api.border.bot/v1/classify \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $BORDERBOT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "description": "Heavyweight crew-neck T-shirt, 100% cotton jersey knit",
    "destinationCountry": "US",
    "originCountry": "VN"
  }'
```

Example response (trimmed):

```json
{
  "result": {
    "hsCode": "6109100012",
    "hsCodeFormatted": "6109.10.00.12",
    "nomenclature": "us",
    "confidence": "high",
    "needsReview": false,
    "hierarchy": [
      { "level": "chapter", "code": "61", "description": "Articles of apparel … knitted or crocheted" },
      { "level": "heading", "code": "6109", "description": "T-shirts, singlets, tank tops …" },
      { "level": "subheading", "code": "610910", "description": "Of cotton" }
    ],
    "alternatives": [ … ]
  },
  "credits": { "charged": 1, "balance": 99 }
}
```

- Authenticate with a workspace API key in the Authorization header.
- Errors come back as JSON with a code such as insufficient_credits or rate_limited.
- Repeating a request with the same idempotency key returns the first result without charging again.
- Calls use the same credits as the dashboard and the MCP server.

[Developer quickstart](https://border.bot/developers) · [API reference](https://border.bot/docs/api)

## Use border.bot from Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor and 30 other MCP clients

Add the border.bot MCP server to your AI client and sign in with your border.bot account. The assistant can then classify products and calculate landed cost during a conversation. Each call uses credits from the workspace you pick when you connect.

MCP server URL: `https://api.border.bot/mcp`.

Setup guides: [Claude](https://border.bot/mcp#claude), [ChatGPT](https://border.bot/mcp#chatgpt), [Claude Code](https://border.bot/mcp#claude-code), [Codex](https://border.bot/mcp#codex), [Cursor](https://border.bot/mcp#cursor), [Visual Studio Code](https://border.bot/mcp#vscode), [Gemini CLI](https://border.bot/mcp#gemini-cli), [Gemini](https://border.bot/mcp#gemini), [GitHub Copilot CLI](https://border.bot/mcp#github-copilot-cli), [Perplexity](https://border.bot/mcp#perplexity), [Vibe Work](https://border.bot/mcp#mistral-vibe), [Cline](https://border.bot/mcp#cline). [Setup steps for all 34 clients](https://border.bot/mcp).

## Pricing

Credits are prepaid and there is no subscription. A classification uses 1 credit and a landed-cost calculation 1 credit. New accounts get 10 credits free. Credits for a failed call are refunded automatically.

### Credit packs

| Pack | Credits | Price | Per credit | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | 100 | $19.00 | $0.19 | For trying border.bot on real shipments. |
| Growth (most popular) | 500 | $79.00 | $0.16 | For growing stores shipping internationally every day. |
| Scale | 2000 | $249.00 | $0.12 | For teams classifying whole catalogues. |
| Volume | 10000 | $990.00 | $0.10 | For platforms and high-volume shippers. |

### What each action costs

| Action | Cost | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Classification (Mini) | 1 credit | The fastest: search by meaning and words, then the reranker. No language model. |
| Classification (Pro) | 1 credit | A model rewrites the listing in customs terms, the search stays in the chapters it names, and a model ranks the candidates by the rules of interpretation, with precedent rulings. Brand-only listings are identified on the web. |
| Classification (Max) | 3 credits | The highest accuracy: an agent searches the tariff, walks its tree, reads rulings and identifies products on the web. |
| Agency product code | 1 credit | Find the product code the destination’s import agency asks for. |
| Landed cost calculation | 1 credit | Duties, taxes and fees for one HS code / origin / destination. |
| Duty stacking | Free | Which duty lines apply to a code and origin, without a shipment. |
| Product URL extraction | Free | Read a product page and extract title, brand, price and materials. |
| Country of origin inference | Free | Infer where a product is made from page data and AI. |

- New accounts get 10 credits free.
- The free tools allow 3 free runs per visitor every 30 days, no account needed.

Prices as of 2026-10-09. [See live pricing](https://border.bot/pricing).

## Free classifier, calculator and origin finder

The free tools work without an account: 3 free runs per visitor every 30 days, shared between them.

- [HS code classifier](https://border.bot/tools/hs-code-classifier)
- [Landed cost calculator](https://border.bot/tools/landed-cost-calculator)
- [Country of origin finder](https://border.bot/tools/country-of-origin-finder)

## Common questions

### What does border.bot do?

It finds the HS code for a product and calculates the duty, import tax, fees and total landed cost of shipping it to another country. You can use it in the web dashboard, through the REST API, or from Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor and other AI clients through our MCP server.

### Which countries and tariff schedules do you cover?

Classification returns 10-digit codes for the US (HTS), the UK and Canada, CN and TARIC codes for the EU, and the 6-digit HS code for every other destination. Landed cost calculation covers the US, the UK, Canada, all 27 EU member states and more destinations, checked when you run it.

### How accurate is the classification?

Each result shows the official description at every level of the code, a confidence score, the reasoning and the closest alternatives, and low-confidence results are flagged for review. Treat it as a well-documented first answer. For high-value, regulated or disputed goods, have a licensed customs broker confirm it or ask the customs authority for a binding ruling.

### How does pricing work?

You buy prepaid credit packs and there is no subscription. Each classification or landed-cost calculation uses credits, the cost of every action is listed on the pricing page, and credits for a failed call are refunded automatically. New accounts start with free credits.

### Can I use border.bot from Claude, ChatGPT, Codex or Cursor?

Yes. Add our remote MCP server to your client, sign in with your border.bot account and choose which workspace pays. The assistant can then classify products and calculate landed cost in the conversation, using the same credits as the dashboard. The MCP page has setup steps for each supported client.

### Is the free classifier really free?

Yes. The free HS code classifier, landed cost calculator and country of origin finder give each visitor a few runs without an account. Cloudflare Turnstile and a usage limit stop automated abuse. Create an account when you need more.

### What happens to the product data I send?

We use it to produce the result and keep it in your workspace history so you can find it again. Payments are handled by Stripe and card details never reach our servers. The security page explains sign-in, API keys, MCP access and data handling in detail.

## Guides

- [The EU’s €3 customs duty on parcels under €150](https://border.bot/blog/eu-3-euro-customs-duty): Since 1 July 2026 the EU charges a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value parcels, once per tariff classification. What it covers, who pays and how it adds up.
- [US de minimis suspension: what changed for parcels](https://border.bot/blog/us-de-minimis-suspension): US de minimis has been suspended since 29 August 2025. The timeline, the June 2026 CBP rules, how parcels clear now and what ends on 1 July 2027.
- [Classify products from Claude and ChatGPT](https://border.bot/blog/classify-products-with-mcp): Connect the border.bot MCP server to Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor, then classify products, check origin and estimate landed cost from a chat. Setup and tips.

## Create an account

New accounts get 10 free credits. You get the dashboard, an API key and the MCP server, and you buy more credits when you need them.

[Create a free account](https://app.border.bot/signup)