Importing Craft Supplies: HS Codes, Duty and Landed Cost

1. Landed cost, not unit price

The number that decides whether your margin works is not the price per bag. It is:

Two quotes can only be compared once both are converted to this figure. That is also why the Incoterms rule on the invoice matters so much — the ICC's Incoterms® rules define which of those cost lines the seller already covered and which are still coming toward you.

2. HS codes: how classification works

Every traded product is classified under the Harmonized System. The US International Trade Administration explains that the HS assigns six-digit codes internationally, which the United States extends to ten digits for imports. Other countries extend it to eight or ten digits of their own.

Practical implications for craft supplies:

• The first six digits are the same worldwide; the last digits are national. So a code from a Chinese supplier gets you to the right chapter but not necessarily to your national tariff line.
• Material and function both matter. A plastic bead, a resin ornament and a printed paper label can sit in different chapters even inside one carton.
• Classification is the importer's responsibility in most jurisdictions, which is why it is worth confirming with your own broker rather than accepting a supplier's code unchecked.

We can tell you what the goods physically are — material, composition, pack format — which is exactly what a broker needs to classify them correctly. We do not guess at your national tariff line, because getting that wrong is your risk, not ours.

3. Look up your own duty rate

Duty rates change, and they differ by country, by trade agreement and sometimes by month. Any guide that prints a percentage will be wrong eventually — so use the official sources instead:

• United States — the Harmonized Tariff Schedule is searchable online, and the ITA's HS code overview explains how the ten-digit US extension works.
• European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada — each publishes its own online tariff lookup; search for the national customs authority plus “tariff lookup”.
• Anywhere — a licensed customs broker will classify and quote duty for a modest fee, which is cheap next to a misclassification penalty.

Check the rate yourself close to shipment date rather than relying on a figure quoted months earlier.

4. Volumetric weight is what actually bills you

This is where craft supply importers get surprised. A bag of foam-light filler weighs almost nothing but fills a carton. Air freight and courier services bill on volumetric weight — a formula based on carton dimensions — whenever that exceeds actual weight, which for these products it usually does.

So the useful question to your supplier is not “how heavy is it?” but “what are the carton dimensions and how many bags per carton?” With that you can get a real quote from a forwarder instead of an estimate. We include carton data with every quotation for exactly this reason.

Two consequences worth planning around: consolidating several stock lines into one shipment usually beats several small parcels, and compressible pack formats (bags rather than rigid jars) can meaningfully cut the volumetric bill.

5. Who clears the goods

Under DDP the seller handles clearance and duty, which is why it suits first orders — you get one number and no paperwork. Under FOB or EXW you or your broker clear the goods, and you will need the commercial invoice, packing list and, depending on the destination and product, any applicable compliance paperwork.

For craft supplies sold into children's channels, retailers commonly ask for batch test reports such as EN 71, ASTM F963, CPC or REACH. Those are supplied on request — see our non-food safety labeling guide for how the wording works on the retail pack.

Get a quote with carton data attached

Tell us the products, quantities and destination country. The quotation comes back with pack format and carton dimensions so you can price freight and duty properly before you commit.

Request a quote with carton data →