Guide · Duty by category · Updated 18 Oct 2026
Clothing, footwear and bags.
The duty that decides your price.
These are the categories where duty is big enough to change a decision — and where the US and Canada disagree most. Same garment, both markets, arithmetic shown.
Where duty is big enough to change a decision
Categories are not equal. Electronics and toys are cheap to import; clothing, footwear, bags and jewelry are where duty visibly moves the price — and they are also where the United States and Canada disagree most. These are the bands our engine prices against (rate table as of 15 Oct 2026):
| Class | US duty band | Canada duty | US duty on a $30 item | Canada duty on a $30 item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel | 16 – 35% | 18% | $4.80 – $10.50 | $5.40 |
| Footwear | 10 – 35% | 18% | $3.00 – $10.50 | $5.40 |
| Bags & luggage | 8 – 25% | 9% | $2.40 – $7.50 | $2.70 |
| Jewelry | 5 – 20% | 8% | $1.50 – $6.00 | $2.40 |
| Furniture | 3 – 12% | 9% | $0.90 – $3.60 | $2.70 |
| Electronics & phone accessories | 3 – 15% | 0% | $0.90 – $4.50 | $0 |
| Toys & games | 3 – 15% | 0% | $0.90 – $4.50 | $0 |
| Home, kitchen, lighting, pet, tools, beauty, sporting, automotive, office | 3 – 15% (sporting 3 – 20%) | 6% | $0.90 – $4.50 | $1.80 |
Read the middle rows again: the same toy is duty-free into Canada and carries up to 15% into the US. A phone accessory is the same story. So a "no duty" claim copied from a Canadian supplier page is simply wrong on the US side of your store — and per-market, per-class pricing is not a nicety, it is the difference between a category that works and one that does not.
A worked garment: $30, both markets
Item $30, freight quoted at $3 for the parcel. Apparel sits at 16 – 35% in the US, so the honest answer is two figures, not one:
| Line | US — low end (16%) | US — high end (35%) | Canada, Ontario (18%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item | $30.00 | $30.00 | $30.00 |
| Freight | $3.00 | $3.00 | $3.00 |
| Duty | $4.80 | $10.50 | $5.40 |
| Import tax | — | — | $4.99 (HST 13% on $38.40) |
| Delivered | $37.80 | $43.50 | $43.39 CAD |
Both countries land in the same neighbourhood on this garment — but they get there differently. In the US the uncertainty is in the rate itself, because layers of the remedy stack are under active litigation. In Canada the duty is flat and knowable; what moves is the tax, because Canada charges it on item + freight + duty and the province sets the percentage. Ontario adds 13% here; Alberta adds 5% ($1.92, delivered $40.32), the Maritimes 15% ($5.76, delivered $44.16).
Why a range is the honest answer
Anyone who quotes you "35%" or "16%" as the tariff on clothing has picked one point out of a live stack of measures. We publish the band, the as-of date and a confidence signal, and we let the number be computed rather than guessed — including in the categories where a 19-point spread is most of the margin. Our sample report shows exactly how that reads on a real product.
What it means for your price
- Price at the top of the band. On a $65 sticker, $10.50 of duty is over 16% of the sale price — before freight, fees or returns. If the band lands low, that is a gift, not the thing that saves you.
- Never carry one duty assumption across categories. A store selling phone cases and hoodies has a 15% problem and a 35% problem in the same catalog.
- Re-check when you reorder. The band is dated for a reason; every quote prints the as-of date.
Price your exact garment or pair — choose the US or your province on the free tool and it prints the line items. Ten lookups a month are free, no card. The $4.99 Source Report adds the supplier picture for one product.
Related
The four-line landed-cost recipe · Margin math with duty included · Canada: duty, thresholds and tax
Check your own numbers before you buy
Run any product through the tool and see the all-in delivered cost — item, live freight, duty and import tax — for the US or your Canadian province. Ten lookups are free every month; no card, no account.
Duty figures here are estimates with an accuracy promise, not a customs ruling. Rates and trade remedies are in flux — every number our tool shows carries a confidence band and an as-of date. See the sample report for exactly what you get.