US import duty from Nicaragua (2026–2028)
A new Section 301 duty on products of Nicaragua starts at 10% on 1 January 2027 and rises to 15% on 1 January 2028. It does not apply to goods that originate under CAFTA-DR. This page shows what coffee, cigars, apparel, gold and other Nicaraguan goods pay on each date, with no CAFTA-DR claim and with one.
One question decides most of the bill: is the shipment entered under CAFTA-DR? A Nicaraguan cotton T-shirt pays 29% with no claim and 0% when it originates under CAFTA-DR and is entered free of duty under it. From 1 January 2027 the gap is 39% against 0%. Check your product →
What Nicaraguan goods pay: today, 1 January 2027 and 1 January 2028
Ten tariff lines Nicaragua ships to the US, priced by our tariff engine. The layer columns and Total are today's duty for goods entered with no CAFTA-DR claim. The next column is the same shipment entered under CAFTA-DR. The last two columns are the no-claim total on 1 January 2027 and on 1 January 2028.
| Product | HTS | Origin | MFN | Section 301 | Forced-labor | Section 232 | Total | Entered under CAFTA-DR | No claim, from 1 Jan 2027 | No claim, from 1 Jan 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton T-shirts | 6109.10.00 | Nicaragua | 16.5% | 0% | 12.5% | — | 29% | 0% | 39% | 44% |
| Men's cotton knit shirts | 6105.10.00 | Nicaragua | 19.7% | 0% | 12.5% | — | 32.2% | 0% | 42.2% | 47.2% |
| Men's cotton trousers and shorts | 6203.42.45 | Nicaragua | 16.6% | 0% | 12.5% | — | 29.1% | 0% | 39.1% | 44.1% |
| Coffee, green (not roasted) | 0901.11.00 | Nicaragua | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | 10% | 15% |
| Coffee, roasted | 0901.21.00 | Nicaragua | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | 10% | 15% |
| 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% | 51% |
| Gold bullion and doré | 7108.12.10 | Nicaragua | Free | 0% | Exempt | — | 0% | CAFTA-DR rate | 10% | 15% |
| Beef, frozen, boneless (in quota)MFN duty is 4.4¢/kg; the engine converts it to about 2.6% of value. | 0202.30.50 | Nicaragua | about 2.6% | 0% | Exempt | — | 2.6% | CAFTA-DR rate | 12.6% | 17.6% |
| Shrimp and prawns, frozen | 0306.17.00 | Nicaragua | Free | 0% | 12.5% | — | 12.5% | CAFTA-DR rate + 12.5% | 22.5% | 27.5% |
| Vehicle wiring harnessesSection 232 auto parts (25%) covers this line, so the forced-labor tariff is not charged on top. | 8544.30.00 | Nicaragua | 5% | 0% | §232 instead | 25% | 30% | CAFTA-DR rate + 25% | 40% | 45% |
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 Nicaragua duty does not apply and the MFN duty is replaced by the rate the agreement gives that good, which depends on its origin and tariff staging and is not in the engine. Each HTS code opens in the checker. Check your own code in the tariff calculator.
The three dates
The Nicaragua Section 301 duty is in HTSUS chapter 99 under heading 9903.89.01 and U.S. note 29. USTR set it with a phase-in (FR Doc. 2025-23892, 90 FR 60850): 0% for goods entered in 2026, 10% from 1 January 2027 and 15% from 1 January 2028. The rate that applies is the one in force on the day the goods are entered, not the day they are ordered or shipped.
It is an additional duty. It is charged on top of the MFN duty and, where the tariff line is not exempt, on top of the 12.5% forced-labor Section 301 tariff that has applied to Nicaraguan goods since 24 July 2026. Note 29 has no carve-out for Section 232 goods, so a vehicle wiring harness (8544.30.00) goes from 30% to 40% and then 45%. Chapter 98 entries are outside the duty, except heading 9802.
The note gives dates, not a time of day. The engine applies each step from 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on 1 January, the convention it uses for other dated tariffs. Both changes are on the US tariff changes calendar, and the January 2027 changes are explained together in US tariff changes in January 2027.
The CAFTA-DR condition
Nicaragua is one of the six countries of the Dominican Republic–Central America–United States Free Trade Agreement. Two of the three duty layers on Nicaraguan goods turn on whether the goods are entered under it:
- The Nicaragua Section 301 duty does not apply to goods that originate under CAFTA-DR (U.S. note 29(a)). This holds for every product, not only clothing.
- The forced-labor tariff exempts textile and apparel goods that are entered free of duty under CAFTA-DR (U.S. note 52(i)). For other products the agreement does not remove it: a line pays it unless the line itself is on the exemption list, as coffee, gold and beef are.
- The MFN duty is replaced by the CAFTA-DR rate for originating goods that are claimed.
So an entry is in one of two positions. With no claim it pays every layer. With a valid claim, a textile or apparel good pays none of them, and any other good pays the CAFTA-DR rate plus the forced-labor tariff if its line is not exempt. There is no entry that pays the MFN duty but skips the forced-labor tariff on clothing, or that skips the Nicaragua duty while being charged as a non-originating good. Since 13 November 2026 our engine prices the no-claim case on every layer and states the claimed case beside it.
The claim is the importer's to make. The goods must meet the agreement's rules of origin, which for most clothing follow the yarn and fabric, and the importer needs a certification or other support for it. All six CAFTA-DR countries share the textile rule; only Nicaragua has the country duty.
How the engine shows “no claim” and “claimed” side by side
A tariff check carries an HTS code and an origin, not a trade-agreement claim. The engine therefore prices the case it can be sure of: goods entered with no CAFTA-DR claim. The layer rows and the total describe that case. For a Nicaraguan product the result also carries a CAFTA-DR notice with two sentences, one per case, and the API returns them as cafta_dr.not_claimed and cafta_dr.claimed with a total for each case where the engine has one.
Cotton T-shirts (6109.10.00), today
This estimate prices goods entered with no CAFTA-DR claim: it charges the 16.5% MFN duty and the 12.5% forced-labor tariff. The Nicaragua Section 301 duty is 10% from 2027-01-01 for the same goods.
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)), and the Nicaragua Section 301 duty does not apply to them (U.S. note 29(a)).
Cigars (2402.10.80), today
This estimate prices goods entered with no CAFTA-DR claim: it charges the 23.5% MFN duty and the 12.5% forced-labor tariff. The Nicaragua Section 301 duty is 10% from 2027-01-01 for the same goods.
Goods that originate under CAFTA-DR do not pay the Nicaragua Section 301 duty (HTSUS ch. 99 U.S. note 29(a)) and enter at the CAFTA-DR rate instead of MFN; the forced-labor tariff still applies to them.
The sentences above are the engine's own. For cigars it gives no claimed total, because the claimed rate depends on the good's CAFTA-DR origin and tariff staging and the engine holds no CAFTA-DR preferential rates. It does not invent one.
To see this for your own product, open the checker with 6109.10.00 from Nicaragua and change the code, or open the same check dated 1 January 2027. The checker prices dates up to twelve months ahead, so the 1 January 2028 column in the table was read from the engine directly.
What the dates cost on a $10,000 shipment
Duty on a customs value of $10,000, entered with no CAFTA-DR claim, before the merchandise processing fee and any anti-dumping or countervailing duty:
| Product | Entered in 2026 | From 1 Jan 2027 | From 1 Jan 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
Cotton T-shirts 6109.10.00 | $2,900 | $3,900 | $4,400 |
Cigars, each valued 23¢ or over 2402.10.80 | $3,600 | $4,600 | $5,100 |
Coffee, green (not roasted) 0901.11.00 | $0 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
Gold bullion and doré 7108.12.10 | $0 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
Shrimp and prawns, frozen 0306.17.00 | $1,250 | $2,250 | $2,750 |
For T-shirts that originate under CAFTA-DR and are entered free of duty under it, the engine's figure is $0 on all three dates.
Product by product
Coffee
Green coffee (0901.11.00) and roasted coffee are free of MFN duty and exempt from the forced-labor tariff, so they enter at 0% today. From 1 January 2027 the Nicaragua duty is the only layer, and it applies in full to coffee entered with no claim: 10%, then 15% in 2028. Coffee is free of MFN duty either way, so until now an entry made without a CAFTA-DR claim has cost nothing extra. From January the claim is what keeps the duty off.
Cigars
Cigars valued 23 cents or more each (2402.10.80) carry an MFN duty of 57¢/kg + 1.4%, which the engine converts to about 23.5% of value, and the 12.5% forced-labor tariff: 36% with no claim today, 46% from 1 January 2027 and 51% from 1 January 2028. Cigars that originate under CAFTA-DR skip the Nicaragua duty and the MFN duty, but the forced-labor tariff still applies to them. Federal excise tax on tobacco is separate and is not in these figures.
Apparel
Clothing is where the claim is worth most. Cotton T-shirts (6109.10.00) pay 29% with no claim, men's cotton knit shirts (6105.10.00) 32.2% and men's cotton trousers (6203.42.45) 29.1%. With the Nicaragua duty they pay 39%, 42.2% and 39.1% from 1 January 2027, and 44%, 47.2% and 44.1% from 1 January 2028. Entered free of duty under CAFTA-DR, the engine's total for all three is 0%.
Gold
Gold bullion and doré (7108.12.10) is free of MFN duty and exempt from the forced-labor tariff: 0% today. With no CAFTA-DR claim it pays 10% from 1 January 2027 and 15% from 1 January 2028.
Beef, shrimp and wiring harnesses
Frozen boneless beef inside the tariff-rate quota (0202.30.50) pays about 2.6% today and is exempt from the forced-labor tariff; it goes to 12.6% and 17.6%. Frozen shrimp (0306.17.00) is free of MFN duty but pays the forced-labor tariff, so 12.5% becomes 22.5% and 27.5%. Vehicle wiring harnesses (8544.30.00) are covered by the 25% Section 232 auto parts duty in place of the forced-labor tariff: 30%, then 40% and 45%.
What to do before 1 January 2027
- Find out which of your Nicaraguan lines are entered with a CAFTA-DR claim today. On lines that are free of MFN duty, such as coffee and gold, a missing claim has cost nothing so far, and from January it costs the full Nicaragua duty.
- For goods that can qualify, ask the supplier for what supports the origin claim and give it to your customs broker before the first January entry.
- For goods that cannot qualify, re-quote with the 10% added, and with 15% for anything delivered in 2028.
- Watch the entry date, not the ship date, for cargo that sails in December.
A product on the Zentria Flow Watchlist is re-priced when a dated tariff takes effect, and its owner gets a reminder seven days before. You can also price a single line in the tariff calculator.
Nicaragua import duty: questions
What is the US tariff on goods from Nicaragua?
It depends on the product and on whether the goods are entered under CAFTA-DR. With no CAFTA-DR claim, a Nicaraguan product pays the normal (MFN) duty, the 12.5% forced-labor Section 301 tariff unless the line is exempt, and from 1 January 2027 a Nicaragua Section 301 duty of 10%, rising to 15% on 1 January 2028. A cotton T-shirt (6109.10.00) pays 29% today, 39% from 1 January 2027 and 44% from 1 January 2028. Green coffee (0901.11.00) pays 0%, then 10%, then 15%. Engine figures, checked 13 November 2026.
When does the Nicaragua Section 301 tariff start?
On 1 January 2027, at 10%. It rises to 15% on 1 January 2028. The rate for entries in 2026 is 0%. The duty is in HTSUS chapter 99, heading 9903.89.01 and U.S. note 29.
Does the Nicaragua tariff apply to CAFTA-DR goods?
No. The duty does not apply to goods that originate under CAFTA-DR (HTSUS chapter 99, U.S. note 29(a)). Goods of Nicaragua entered with no CAFTA-DR claim pay it on top of the MFN duty and, where the line is not exempt, the forced-labor tariff.
Do Nicaraguan cigars pay the new tariff?
Cigars that are entered with no CAFTA-DR claim do. On 13 November 2026 the engine priced cigars valued 23 cents or more each (2402.10.80) at 36%: an MFN duty of 57¢/kg + 1.4%, which it converts to about 23.5% of value, plus the 12.5% forced-labor tariff. That becomes 46% on 1 January 2027 and 51% on 1 January 2028. Cigars that originate under CAFTA-DR do not pay the Nicaragua duty and enter at the CAFTA-DR rate in place of MFN; the forced-labor tariff still applies to them.
Is Nicaraguan coffee still duty-free?
Until 31 December 2026, yes: green and roasted coffee are free of MFN duty and exempt from the forced-labor tariff, so the engine's total is 0%. From 1 January 2027 coffee entered with no CAFTA-DR claim pays the 10% Nicaragua duty, and 15% from 1 January 2028. Coffee that originates under CAFTA-DR does not pay it.
Does the forced-labor tariff apply to Nicaraguan clothing?
Only when the clothing is not entered free of duty under CAFTA-DR. Textile and apparel goods entered free of duty under CAFTA-DR are exempt (U.S. note 52(i)). The same T-shirt entered with no claim pays the 16.5% MFN duty and the 12.5% forced-labor tariff, 29% in all, and 39% from 1 January 2027.
Does Zentria Flow tell me whether my goods qualify under CAFTA-DR?
No. Whether a product originates under CAFTA-DR depends on where its materials come from and how it is made, and the importer makes the claim. Zentria Flow does not file entries or certify origin. It shows what the goods pay in each case so you can see what the claim is worth. The figures are an estimate for planning, not a customs ruling.
Related guides
Check your own product from Nicaragua
Enter your HTS code to see each duty layer today and on 1 January 2027, with the CAFTA-DR case beside it. The result is an estimate for planning, not a customs ruling. Zentria Flow does not file entries or certify origin.
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