Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) & Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF)

MPF is a US Customs user fee charged on most imports, separate from duty. For formal entries (goods over $2,500) it's 0.3464% of the entered value, with a minimum of ~$34.58 and maximum of ~$670.86 per entry (amounts adjust annually for inflation). Informal entries pay a small flat fee. MPF applies even when your duty rate is 0%.

MPF = entered value × 0.3464%, then clamped to the min/max. Example: $10,000 shipment → $34.64 MPF. $50,000 → $173.20. $200,000 → capped at the ~$670.86 maximum. The cap means consolidating shipments into fewer, larger entries reduces total MPF — ten $20,000 entries pay ~$693 total, one $200,000 entry pays ~$651.

HMF is 0.125% of cargo value, charged only on ocean shipments arriving at US ports — no minimum, no maximum. Air freight and goods entering by land from Canada/Mexico don't pay HMF. A $50,000 ocean shipment pays $62.50 HMF on top of duty and MPF.

Yes. MPF is a processing fee, not a duty — it applies regardless of the duty rate. Goods entering at 0% MFN still pay MPF. However, some FTAs (USMCA, KORUS, and others) exempt qualifying originating goods from MPF — one of the overlooked benefits of FTA qualification.

Common ones: customs broker fees ($75–250 per entry), single-entry or continuous bond costs, ISF (10+2) filing for ocean (~$25–50), carrier disbursement fees, and FDA/USDA fees for regulated products. Anti-dumping/countervailing deposits apply to covered goods. The duty rate alone is never the full picture — landed cost includes all of it.