Import cost calculator
Duty, VAT and customs fees on equipment from China — and the certificates and documents your country requires. Rates as of October 2026, from our import guides.
Estimate
Typical HS code: 8471.41
- Customs value (CIF)
- $10,000
- Duty 0%
- $0
- Customs processing fee (DTA) 0%
- $0
- VAT (IVA) 19%
- $1,900
- Payable at customs
- $1,900
- IGV advance payment (percepción) 0%
- $0
- Cost with freight, duty and taxes
- $11,900
- If your company recovers VAT
- $10,000
Paid at customs on top of the taxes and credited later against IGV.
- A panel with a built-in computer may be classified as a computer (8471), and then the duty is different.
- A factory may list a self-service kiosk under a display code (8528.59) rather than a computer code (8471). The duty follows the code on your import declaration, and customs has the final say: under a display code the rate can be higher than for computers. Confirm the code with your customs broker before a large order.
- A panel with a built-in computer may be classified as a computer (8471), and then the duty is different.
- A factory may list a self-service kiosk under a display code (8528.59) rather than a computer code (8471). The duty follows the code on your import declaration, and customs has the final say: under a display code the rate can be higher than for computers. Confirm the code with your customs broker before a large order.
- Lithium-ion batteries (8507.60) and industrial robots (8479.50) pay 0% under Decree 272 of 2018, which still applies (Decree 1881 of 2021, article 2) and is reviewed regularly; service robots under 8479.89 pay 5%. Confirm the rate for your code.
- A panel with a built-in computer may be classified as a computer (8471), and then the duty is different.
- A factory may list a self-service kiosk under a display code (8528.59) rather than a computer code (8471). The duty follows the code on your import declaration, and customs has the final say: under a display code the rate can be higher than for computers. Confirm the code with your customs broker before a large order.
- Other monitors and displays (8528.59): high-definition ones (16:9 or wider, more than 700 lines — most 16:9 panels of 720p and above) pay 15%; 16:10, 4:3 and 5:4 panels are duty-free.
- A panel with a built-in computer may be classified as a computer (8471), and then the duty is different.
- A factory may list a self-service kiosk under a display code (8528.59) rather than a computer code (8471). The duty follows the code on your import declaration, and customs has the final say: under a display code the rate can be higher than for computers. Confirm the code with your customs broker before a large order.
- Robots: code 8479.89.99.9999 needs SABER plus Ministry of Interior approval for import and export in the ZATCA tariff; industrial robots (8479.50) need only SABER. Check your 12-digit code.
- A panel with a built-in computer may be classified as a computer (8471), and then the duty is different.
- A factory may list a self-service kiosk under a display code (8528.59) rather than a computer code (8471). The duty follows the code on your import declaration, and customs has the final say: under a display code the rate can be higher than for computers. Confirm the code with your customs broker before a large order.
Not included: customs broker or agent fees, port and terminal charges, inland delivery and certification.
What this product needs in the country
- Goods worth more than USD 1,000 FOB are cleared through a licensed customs agent (agente de aduana); express couriers may clear shipments up to USD 3,000 FOB themselves.
- For 0% duty, the importer must hold a certificate of origin under the Chile–China agreement when the declaration is filed. It is valid for one year.
- SEC: if the product has an SEC certification protocol, it can be sold only after certification. Ask the factory for IEC test reports and CB certificates before ordering.
- A grid-connected solar system is declared to SEC by an authorized installer (form TE4).
- SUBTEL: since 22 February 2026 devices with Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth need no prior certification, but a QR code on the packaging — and wherever the device is advertised, including online — that leads to a Spanish page with the importer's details in Chile, an accredited laboratory's test report and a declaration of conformity. FCC or EU certificates are not recognised.
- Lithium batteries and devices with them ship as dangerous goods: the batteries must have passed the UN 38.3 tests and the factory must make the test summary available; forwarders usually also ask for a safety data sheet. By air, lithium-ion batteries shipped alone or packed with equipment must as a rule be at no more than 30% charge.
- Up to USD 2,000 FOB per shipment — simplified declaration without an agent; above that, a licensed customs agent files the declaration (unless SUNAT has authorized the importer as a dispatcher). The importer needs an active tax number (RUC).
- For 0% duty under the Peru–China free trade agreement: a certificate of origin issued in China (valid one year) and direct shipment; the declaration states the agreement (code 805).
- MTC: registration as a seller of telecom equipment, then type approval for each brand and model with Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth — filed through VUCE, decided within 5 working days (15 if the device also has a cellular modem). Importing without it is a serious violation.
- Lithium batteries and devices with them ship as dangerous goods: the batteries must have passed the UN 38.3 tests and the factory must make the test summary available; forwarders usually also ask for a safety data sheet. By air, lithium-ion batteries shipped alone or packed with equipment must as a rule be at no more than 30% charge.
- From USD 5,000 FOB — Andean customs value declaration (DAV); split shipments from one supplier under one deal are added up.
- RETIE: UPS units need a certificate from an ONAC-accredited body; storage batteries and inverters — a certificate or a supplier's declaration validated by a licensed engineer. The SIC checks it through an import registration in VUCE before release.
- CRC type approval — only if the device has a cellular (4G) modem. Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth alone do not need it.
- The importer counts as the producer of the electronics: above the volume threshold for the code — registration in RPCAEE and a take-back system.
- Payments to the factory go through Colombia's foreign exchange market (a Colombian bank); invoice, payment and declaration must match.
- Lithium batteries and devices with them ship as dangerous goods: the batteries must have passed the UN 38.3 tests and the factory must make the test summary available; forwarders usually also ask for a safety data sheet. By air, lithium-ion batteries shipped alone or packed with equipment must as a rule be at no more than 30% charge.
- The importer must be in the SAT importers' register (Padrón de Importadores) and clear through a licensed customs broker; the importer itself transmits the electronic value declaration (mandatory for definitive imports from 15 January 2027).
- NOM-019-SCFI-1998 (safety of data processing equipment) and NOM-024-SCFI-2013 (product information in Spanish); with Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth — also NOM-208-SCFI-2016.
- NOM-001-SCFI-2018 (safety of electronic equipment; UPS of 10 kVA and above excluded; displays used mainly with computers need NOM-019 instead); displays, UPS units and electronic inverters also need NOM-024-SCFI-2013 information in Spanish.
- Check by the robot's tariff code whether a NOM is verified at customs (annex 2.4.1). 0% applies to 8479.89.99; robot vacuums (8508.11.01) pay 20% and toy robots (9503) 30%. If compliance is not proven, the fine is 250–300% of the goods' value.
- Lithium-ion batteries need Spanish labeling only if they are for household use.
- CRT type approval for devices with Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth or a cellular modem — for each brand and model; the certificate holder must be registered for tax in Mexico.
- Computers and LCD screens fall under waste management plans (NOM-161-SEMARNAT-2011) for producers, importers and sellers.
- Lithium batteries and devices with them ship as dangerous goods: the batteries must have passed the UN 38.3 tests and the factory must make the test summary available; forwarders usually also ask for a safety data sheet. By air, lithium-ion batteries shipped alone or packed with equipment must as a rule be at no more than 30% charge.
- Commercial registration (CR), registration in FASAH and a power of attorney for a licensed customs broker.
- SABER: a certificate of conformity for the product and a shipment certificate for every customs declaration (valid 90 days).
- Computers and displays: national recognition of an IECEE CB certificate or the Saudi Quality Mark; laptops, tablets and some other computers also need a CST conformity certificate.
- Electrical equipment must meet the SASO regulation on hazardous substances (RoHS); batteries are exempt.
- Product information and labeling in Arabic: supplier, manufacturer, model, country of origin and warnings.
- Lithium batteries and devices with them ship as dangerous goods: the batteries must have passed the UN 38.3 tests and the factory must make the test summary available; forwarders usually also ask for a safety data sheet. By air, lithium-ion batteries shipped alone or packed with equipment must as a rule be at no more than 30% charge.
- A trade licence that covers importing and a customs code in the emirate; the declaration is usually filed by a licensed customs broker.
- Invoices and certificates of origin for imports of AED 10,000 or more are attested online by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (eDAS), AED 150 each; if the fee is not paid within 14 days of the customs declaration, a fine of AED 500 per invoice is added.
- ECAS (MoIAT): electrical and electronic equipment needs a conformity certificate under the UAE RoHS regulation — a declaration and a test report from an ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory. Products under the low-voltage regulation also need IEC CB reports, a manual in Arabic and English and BS 1363 plugs.
- Inverters and batteries for solar systems fall under the UAE solar regulation (Cabinet Resolution No. 10 of 2020): an ECAS certificate with test reports no older than three years.
- TDRA: type approval before sale, the TDRA mark on the packaging and on the device, and a TDRA customs clearance permit for every commercial shipment.
- Lithium batteries and devices with them ship as dangerous goods: the batteries must have passed the UN 38.3 tests and the factory must make the test summary available; forwarders usually also ask for a safety data sheet. By air, lithium-ion batteries shipped alone or packed with equipment must as a rule be at no more than 30% charge.
Full guide: importing from China to Chile →
Full guide: importing from China to Peru →
Full guide: importing from China to Colombia →
Full guide: importing from China to Mexico →
How we calculate
- Chile
- Duty is 6% of the CIF value, or 0% with a certificate of origin under the free trade agreement. VAT (IVA) is 19% of CIF plus duty.
- Peru
- Duty is 0% or 6% of CIF depending on the code, and 0% for all these products with a certificate of origin under the Peru–China agreement. IGV and IPM together are 18% of CIF plus duty. The IGV advance payment (percepción) — usually 3.5%, 10% on a company's first import — is charged on CIF plus duty and IGV and credited later.
- Colombia
- Duty is 0–15% of the customs value depending on the code. VAT (IVA) is 19% of customs value plus duty; personal computers worth up to 50 UVT per unit are exempt.
- Mexico
- General import duty (IGI) is 0–15% depending on the tariff line. The customs processing fee (DTA) is 0.8% of the customs value, even on duty-free goods. VAT (IVA) is 16% of customs value plus duty and fees.
- Saudi Arabia
- Duty is 0% or 5% of the customs value under the common Gulf tariff. VAT is 15% of customs value plus duty.
- UAE
- Duty is 0% or 5% of the customs value under the common Gulf tariff. VAT is 5% of customs value plus duty; a VAT-registered importer that has given the tax authority its customs number declares it in its VAT return instead of paying at the border.
Duty by product and country
| Product | Chile | Peru | Colombia | Mexico | Saudi Arabia | UAE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-service kiosks and kitchen displays8471.41 | 6% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Mini PCs and computers8471.50 | 6% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Interactive panels and displays8528.59 | 6% | 6% | 15% | 15% | 5% | 5% |
| Service robots8479.89 | 6% | 0% | 5% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| UPS8504.40 | 6% | 0% | 0% | 15% | 0% | 0% |
| Inverters, including hybrid solar8504.40 | 6% | 0% | 0% | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Lithium batteries and storage cabinets8507.60 | 6% | 6% | 0% | 0% | 5% | 5% |
Duty as a percentage of the customs value. Chile and Peru — without a certificate of origin; with it, 0%. The rate is set by the tariff code: check it with your broker before ordering.
This is an estimate, not a customs ruling. Rates were checked against official sources in October 2026 and may change — confirm them with your customs broker before shipping.
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