CAFTA-DR and US tariffs in 2026
Goods from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua can enter the US under CAFTA-DR. In 2026 that claim decides more than the MFN duty: it decides whether clothing pays the forced-labor tariff and whether Nicaraguan goods pay their new Section 301 duty. It does not remove every layer. This page shows what it waives and what it leaves, with engine figures for each country.
A cotton T-shirt from Honduras pays 26.5% with no CAFTA-DR claim and 0% when it is entered free of duty under CAFTA-DR. From Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic or Nicaragua the no-claim figure is 29%. Check your product →
The six countries: claimed and not-claimed totals
The same cotton T-shirt (HTS 6109.10.00) from each country, priced by our tariff engine. The forced-labor Section 301 tariff has applied since 24 July 2026, in two tiers.
| Country | In force since | Forced-labor tier | T-shirt, no claim | T-shirt, entered under CAFTA-DR | No claim, from 1 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Rica | 1 January 2009 | 12.5% | 29% | 0% | 29% |
| Dominican Republic | 1 March 2007 | 12.5% | 29% | 0% | 29% |
| El Salvador | 1 March 2006 | 10% | 26.5% | 0% | 26.5% |
| Guatemala | 1 July 2006 | 10% | 26.5% | 0% | 26.5% |
| Honduras | 1 April 2006 | 10% | 26.5% | 0% | 26.5% |
| Nicaragua | 1 April 2006 | 12.5% | 29% | 0% | 39% |
Source: Zentria Flow tariff engine, checked 13 November 2026. Percent of customs value; excludes MPF, HMF and any anti-dumping or countervailing duty. The claimed column is the engine's total for goods that originate under CAFTA-DR and are entered free of duty under it.
What a CAFTA-DR claim waives, and what it does not
1. The MFN duty: yes, where the good originates and is claimed
A good that meets the agreement's rules of origin, and for which the importer claims the preference at entry, pays the CAFTA-DR rate in place of the MFN (column 1 general) rate. Without the claim it pays MFN, even if it would have qualified. Our engine holds no CAFTA-DR preferential rates, so it always charges MFN and says so.
2. The forced-labor tariff: only for textiles and apparel entered free of duty
All six countries are covered by the forced-labor Section 301 tariff: 10% for El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, 12.5% for Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. HTSUS chapter 99, U.S. note 52(i) exempts textile and apparel goods of these countries that are entered free of duty under CAFTA-DR. The condition is the entry, not the country: the same garment entered with no claim pays MFN and the tariff. The Guatemala and El Salvador lists in note 52(j) also name some lines that are exempt when entry is claimed under CAFTA-DR.
For everything else the agreement changes nothing on this layer. A Costa Rican catheter (9018.39.00) is free of MFN duty and pays 12.5%, all of it the forced-labor tariff, whether or not CAFTA-DR is claimed. Dominican cigars (2402.10.80) pay 36% with no claim; a claim replaces the MFN part with the CAFTA-DR rate and leaves the 12.5%. Lines that are exempt for every country, such as coffee and bananas, pay no forced-labor tariff either way: Guatemalan green coffee (0901.11.00) enters at 0%.
3. Nicaragua's own Section 301 duty: yes, for originating goods
From 1 January 2027 products of Nicaragua pay an additional 10%, and 15% from 1 January 2028 (heading 9903.89.01). It does not apply to goods that originate under CAFTA-DR (U.S. note 29(a)), whatever the product. Nicaraguan green coffee with no claim goes from 0% to 10%; coffee that originates under CAFTA-DR does not pay it. The dates, products and worked shipments are on the Nicaragua import duty page.
4. Section 232 duties: no
The engine's CAFTA-DR handling touches the MFN duty and the two Section 301 layers above, nothing else. A Honduran vehicle wiring harness (8544.30.00) is priced at 30%: 5% MFN plus the 25% Section 232 auto parts duty, which takes the place of the forced-labor tariff on that line. Anti-dumping and countervailing duties are company-specific and are not in any figure on this page.
Real examples from each country
A cotton T-shirt, green coffee and one or two other exports from each country, priced by our tariff engine. The layer columns and Total are for goods entered with no CAFTA-DR claim. The next column is the same shipment entered under CAFTA-DR. The last column shows the 1 January 2027 total where it changes, which is only for Nicaragua.
| Product | HTS | Origin | MFN | Section 301 | Forced-labor | Section 232 | Total | Entered under CAFTA-DR | No claim, from 1 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton T-shirts | 6109.10.00 | Costa Rica | 16.5% | 0% | 12.5% | — | 29% | 0% | — |
| Coffee, green (not roasted) | 0901.11.00 | Costa Rica | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | — |
| Catheters, cannulae and similar medical devices | 9018.39.00 | Costa Rica | Free | 0% | 12.5% | — | 12.5% | CAFTA-DR rate + 12.5% | — |
| Pineapples, fresh, in cratesMFN duty is 1.1¢/kg; the engine converts it to about 4.7% of value. | 0804.30.40 | Costa Rica | about 4.7% | 0% | Exempt | — | 4.7% | CAFTA-DR rate | — |
| Cotton T-shirts | 6109.10.00 | Dominican Republic | 16.5% | 0% | 12.5% | — | 29% | 0% | — |
| Coffee, green (not roasted) | 0901.11.00 | Dominican Republic | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | — |
| Medical and surgical instruments, other | 9018.90.80 | Dominican Republic | Free | 0% | 12.5% | — | 12.5% | CAFTA-DR rate + 12.5% | — |
| Cigars, each valued 23¢ or overMFN duty is 57¢/kg + 1.4%; the engine converts it to about 23.5% of value. | 2402.10.80 | Dominican Republic | about 23.5% | 0% | 12.5% | — | 36% | CAFTA-DR rate + 12.5% | — |
| Cotton T-shirts | 6109.10.00 | El Salvador | 16.5% | 0% | 10% | — | 26.5% | 0% | — |
| Coffee, green (not roasted) | 0901.11.00 | El Salvador | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | — |
| Cotton socks and hosiery | 6115.95.90 | El Salvador | 13.5% | 0% | 10% | — | 23.5% | 0% | — |
| Cotton T-shirts | 6109.10.00 | Guatemala | 16.5% | 0% | 10% | — | 26.5% | 0% | — |
| Coffee, green (not roasted) | 0901.11.00 | Guatemala | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | — |
| Bananas, fresh | 0803.90.00 | Guatemala | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | — |
| Cotton T-shirts | 6109.10.00 | Honduras | 16.5% | 0% | 10% | — | 26.5% | 0% | — |
| Coffee, green (not roasted) | 0901.11.00 | Honduras | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | — |
| Vehicle wiring harnessesSection 232 auto parts (25%) covers this line, so the forced-labor tariff is not charged on top. | 8544.30.00 | Honduras | 5% | 0% | §232 instead | 25% | 30% | CAFTA-DR rate + 25% | — |
| Cotton T-shirts | 6109.10.00 | Nicaragua | 16.5% | 0% | 12.5% | — | 29% | 0% | 39% |
| Coffee, green (not roasted) | 0901.11.00 | Nicaragua | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | 10% |
| Cigars, each valued 23¢ or overMFN duty is 57¢/kg + 1.4%; the engine converts it to about 23.5% of value. | 2402.10.80 | Nicaragua | about 23.5% | 0% | 12.5% | — | 36% | CAFTA-DR rate + 12.5% | 46% |
| Gold bullion and doré | 7108.12.10 | Nicaragua | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | 10% |
Source: Zentria Flow tariff engine (HTSUS and the Chapter 99 notes), checked 13 November 2026. Percent of customs value for goods entered without a trade-agreement claim; excludes MPF, HMF and any anti-dumping or countervailing duty. The engine gives a total for the CAFTA-DR case only for textiles and apparel. Where the column says “CAFTA-DR rate”, the claimed rate depends on the good's CAFTA-DR origin and tariff staging and is not in the engine; a percentage after it is a layer the claim does not remove. Each HTS code opens in the checker. Check your own code in the tariff calculator.
How to read “no claim” and “claimed” in the tools
A tariff check has no field for a trade-agreement claim. The engine prices goods entered with no CAFTA-DR claim, on every layer, and for a product where the claim would change a Section 301 layer it adds a CAFTA-DR notice with both cases. For a Honduran T-shirt the notice reads:
This estimate prices goods entered with no CAFTA-DR claim: it charges the 16.5% MFN duty and the 10% forced-labor tariff.
Textile and apparel goods that originate under CAFTA-DR and are entered free of duty under it pay no MFN duty and no forced-labor tariff (HTSUS ch. 99 U.S. note 52(i)).
The claimed total is a number only for textiles and apparel, where entry free of duty is the exemption's own condition. For other goods the claimed rate depends on the good's CAFTA-DR origin and tariff staging, so the engine states what the claim changes and gives no figure. Open the checker with 6109.10.00 from Honduras to see the notice, then enter your own code and country.
Before you rely on the claimed figure
- Origin under CAFTA-DR is a rule per product, not a fact about the shipping country. For most clothing the rule follows the yarn and the fabric, so a garment sewn in Honduras from fabric made outside the region may not qualify.
- The importer makes the claim at entry and must be able to support it. A shipment that qualifies but is entered without the claim is charged as the no-claim case.
- The textile exemption from the forced-labor tariff needs entry free of duty under the agreement, which is what the engine's 0% describes.
- Re-check dated changes before you quote: the US tariff changes calendar lists them, and US tariff changes in January 2027 covers the Nicaragua step.
These figures are an estimate for planning, not a customs ruling. Zentria Flow does not file entries or certify origin.
CAFTA-DR tariffs: questions
Which countries are in CAFTA-DR?
Six, besides the United States: Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Does CAFTA-DR exempt goods from the forced-labor tariff?
Only textile and apparel goods that are entered free of duty under CAFTA-DR (HTSUS chapter 99, U.S. note 52(i)). Other goods pay the forced-labor tariff with or without a CAFTA-DR claim, unless the tariff line itself is exempt. A Costa Rican catheter (9018.39.00) is free of MFN duty and still pays 12.5%. Engine figures, checked 13 November 2026.
What does a cotton T-shirt from Honduras pay in the US?
Entered with no CAFTA-DR claim, 26.5%: the 16.5% MFN duty plus the 10% forced-labor tariff. When it originates under CAFTA-DR and is entered free of duty under it, the engine's total is 0%. Engine figures for HTS 6109.10.00, checked 13 November 2026.
Why do some CAFTA-DR countries pay 10% and others 12.5%?
The forced-labor Section 301 tariff has two flat tiers. In the engine, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are in the 10% tier, and Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua are in the 12.5% tier. The tier applies to goods that are not exempt and not entered under the textile rule.
Is Nicaragua treated differently from the other five?
Yes. From 1 January 2027 products of Nicaragua that do not originate under CAFTA-DR pay a Section 301 duty of 10%, rising to 15% on 1 January 2028 (heading 9903.89.01). The other five countries have no country-specific duty. A Nicaraguan T-shirt with no claim goes from 29% to 39%; with the claim it stays at 0%.
Does the calculator apply CAFTA-DR rates?
No. The engine holds no CAFTA-DR preferential rates, so it charges the MFN duty and prices goods as entered with no CAFTA-DR claim. For textiles and apparel it also gives the claimed total, because entry free of duty is the condition of the exemption. For other goods it says what a claim changes and gives no claimed figure. The result is an estimate for planning, not a customs ruling, and Zentria Flow does not file entries or certify origin.
Related guides
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