Landed-cost calculator: activewear, China to US.

Landed cost per unit for activewear imported from China to the US equals FOB unit price + US import duty at the correct HTS rate + Section 301 List 4A duty (currently 7.5 percent) + ocean or air freight amortized per unit + port and drayage + customs brokerage + last-mile pick-and-pack. For typical activewear at 5,000 to 50,000 units per SKU, landed cost runs roughly 40 to 90 percent higher than the FOB number a factory quotes you. This calculator gives you the real per-unit landed cost so you can size margin and retail price accurately.

What the calculator is actually doing

Landed cost is not a single number. It is a stack of costs that accrue as the container moves from the factory floor in Fuzhou to your 3PL bin in Kentucky. This calculator sums them up in the order they hit the invoice.

FOB unit price. The price the factory quotes you to load the goods onto the ocean vessel at the origin port. FOB stands for Free On Board. Once the goods cross the ship's rail, they are yours. Every downstream cost is on you.

MFN duty. Most Favored Nation duty, the standard tariff rate the US charges on imports from World Trade Organization member countries. For activewear this runs 16 to 32 percent of the customs value depending on the exact HTS subheading. Full HTS rates are published by the US International Trade Commission at usitc.gov.

Section 301 duty. An additional tariff imposed on Chinese-origin goods under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Apparel falls on List 4A, which currently carries an additional 7.5 percent duty on top of the MFN rate. The list has moved several times since 2018 and can move again. If you are cost-planning more than 6 months ahead, hedge by 1 to 2 percentage points on the Section 301 assumption.

Ocean freight per unit. The container-level freight rate divided by the number of units you can pack in the container. A 40-foot high cube container from Xiamen or Fuzhou to Los Angeles/Long Beach runs roughly $2,800 to $4,500 in current market, and packs roughly 20,000 to 25,000 folded activewear pieces at 220g baseline weight. Heavier garments pack fewer pieces per container.

Air freight per unit. Weight-based, roughly $4.50 to $8.00 per kilogram Fuzhou to LAX in current market, with a 15 percent dimensional-weight uplift for cartons and pallets. Air is 4 to 7 days transit. Ocean is 25 to 40 days transit.

Port fees, drayage, brokerage. ISF filing, harbor maintenance fee, merchandise processing fee, drayage from port to warehouse, customs entry, brokerage. Roughly $900 per 40HC container plus a $275 brokerage minimum on ocean, roughly $350 plus brokerage on air.

Last-mile pick and pack. Your 3PL charges to receive, put away, and pick your units for shipment. Runs $0.60 to $1.20 per unit for activewear at most US 3PLs.

Current HTS codes for common activewear categories

Duty burden shown as a percentage of the customs value. Actual customs value is FOB adjusted by CBP if freight or insurance is included. Confirm the exact subheading with your broker: a legging that is more than 36 percent cotton by weight files under a different subheading than a legging that is majority polyester or nylon.

Ocean or air: which mode when

Ocean is the default for any program above roughly 3,000 units per shipment where lead time can absorb 25 to 40 days at sea plus 5 to 10 days of port and customs. Per-unit freight lands roughly 3 to 8 times cheaper than air at typical activewear weights. Air makes sense for launch-critical first shipments, restock emergencies where a stockout is more expensive than the freight premium, high-value low-weight programs, and pre-order programs where the customer has already paid and cash flow is not the constraint. A common hybrid pattern for founders sourcing their first program is a smaller air-freight first drop for launch (fast-to-market, tight cash-flow test), then a larger ocean drop 6 to 8 weeks behind it for the sell-through wave.

The three most common landed-cost mistakes

1. Forgetting Section 301. A first-time importer sees a 28.2 percent MFN rate and forgets the extra 7.5 percent on top. Then they wonder why the actual customs invoice is 15 to 20 percent higher than they modeled.

2. Assuming FOB is delivered. FOB is factory-to-ship-rail. Everything past the ship's rail is on you. Ocean freight, port fees, drayage, customs, brokerage, last-mile, all of it.

3. Amortizing freight on nominal container capacity. A 40HC does not carry its theoretical maximum. Real pack density on activewear is 20,000 to 25,000 pieces at 220g, not the 35,000 a spreadsheet might suggest. Amortize on real pack density, not paper capacity.

How this calculator connects to what we quote

When we quote a program at Ohzehn Textiles, we quote the landed number, not just FOB. That means we absorb the coordination of freight and customs and return one number your finance team can plan against. If freight slips, the cost lands on us, not on you. The homepage covers the operating philosophy, the activewear manufacturer page covers the factory side, and the vertical integration page covers why one landed number is achievable when the mill owns the chain.

For retail-buyer programs where a big-box compliance officer needs a certified freight-and-customs partner, the Target-certified page covers the mill-side audit posture, and Kelvin handles the freight-and-customs qualification on the buyer's compliance list.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate landed cost for activewear imported from China to the US?

Landed cost per unit equals FOB unit price + US import duty at the applicable HTS rate + Section 301 duty (currently 7.5 percent for List 4A apparel) + ocean or air freight amortized per unit + port and drayage + customs brokerage + last-mile pick-and-pack. For activewear at typical FOB and shipment sizes, landed cost runs roughly 40 to 90 percent higher than FOB.

What is the HTS code for women's knit leggings from China?

Women's knit synthetic-fiber trousers, breeches, and shorts fall under HTS 6104.63, with the specific subheading depending on fiber content. The MFN duty rate is 28.2 percent. Section 301 List 4A adds 7.5 percent on top. Total duty burden is roughly 35.7 percent on the customs value.

What is the HTS code for sports bras from China?

Brassieres of man-made fibers fall under HTS 6212.10.90, with a 16.9 percent MFN rate. Section 301 List 4A adds 7.5 percent. Total duty is roughly 24.4 percent on the customs value.

How much does ocean freight cost per unit for activewear from Fuzhou to Los Angeles?

Ocean freight from Xiamen or Fuzhou to Los Angeles/Long Beach runs approximately $2,800 to $4,500 per 40-foot high cube container in current market. A 40HC packs roughly 20,000 to 25,000 folded activewear pieces depending on garment weight and packaging. Freight per unit is typically $0.11 to $0.23. Air freight for the same route runs $4.50 to $8.00 per kilogram, roughly $1.20 to $2.50 per activewear piece.

Is this landed-cost calculator authoritative for customs filing?

No. This calculator is a planning tool that uses current HTS rates and hedged freight ranges to help brands sanity-check quotes and program economics. Actual customs entry requires the correct HTS classification for your specific garment fiber content and construction, and final duty is calculated by your customs broker on the entered value. Tariff rates change and Section 301 exclusions can shift program economics.