About the service
About ImportChecker
ImportChecker is an independent planning tool for people comparing the likely border cost of an international purchase. It turns public tariff and tax data into a readable estimate, while keeping uncertainty visible.
Page reviewed 5 August 2026.
The problem it is trying to solve
Import costs are rarely one percentage. Product classification sets the tariff line. Origin can change the duty treatment. Customs value may include adjustments that are not obvious from the invoice, and import VAT or GST is often calculated after duty and other costs are added.
Official tariff systems are the authority, but they are designed for customs work rather than quick purchase planning. ImportChecker gives an early estimate and links back to those sources so that the user can verify the important parts.
Who is responsible for the site
ImportChecker is independently built and maintained by the site owner. It is not a customs authority, brokerage, marketplace or government service. Questions and corrections go to contact@importchecker.net.
The site does not sell customs advice and does not accept payment to change a rate, source or editorial conclusion. If commercial relationships are added later, they will be labelled and will not override the source-selection method.
How the product is built
- Acquire public national tariffs, international reference data and tax-rate sources.
- Normalise product codes, rates, dates and source identifiers into a common lookup format.
- Prefer national tariff rows and label international fallback rows in calculator results.
- Keep conditional preferences, trade measures and unpriced rules separate from the base estimate.
- Publish the source register, method, limitations and correction route alongside the tool.
The calculator runs in the browser and loads destination data when it is needed. The static site does not require an account or store a customer profile.
How the public content is maintained
Indexable country guides and explanatory guides are selected and maintained pages, not a public copy of every database combination. Each guide states its assumptions, links to official sources and carries a source-check date. Data-led page candidates may exist as internal build records, but they are not published as browsing pages until they meet the editorial standard.
What ImportChecker is not
It is not a binding classification service or an exact customs engine. It cannot decide whether a preference claim is valid, interpret every legal note, or know carrier and inspection fees before they occur. High-value, regulated or commercially sensitive shipments should be reviewed by the relevant authority or a qualified adviser.