Duty on clothing from abroad: the 2026 rate table
Clothing is one of the highest-taxed things you can import — and since 2026, where it ships from matters as much as what it is. Here are the real rates by corridor.
The base rates: apparel is historically protective
The US taxes clothing harder than almost any consumer category. Representative lines:
- Knitted cotton sweaters & hoodies (HTS 6110.20.20): 16.5%
- Cotton t-shirts (HTS 6109.10): 16.5%
- Wool pullovers (HTS 6110.11): varies by weight
- Synthetic activewear (HTS 6110.30): varies, often higher
Then the 2026 overlays stack on top, and they differ by origin:
Clothing duty by shipping corridor (2026)
| Ships from | MFN (cotton knit) | 2026 overlays | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | 16.5% | +10% IEEPA, +25% Section 301 | 51.5% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 16.5% | +10% forced-labor 301 | 26.5% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany (EU) | 16.5% | +10% forced-labor 301 | 26.5% |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 16.5% | +10% forced-labor 301 | 26.5% |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | 16.5% | +10% forced-labor 301 | 26.5% |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 16.5% | +10% forced-labor 301 | 26.5% |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 16.5% | +10% forced-labor 301 | 26.5% |
| 🇮🇳 India | 16.5% | +10% forced-labor 301 | 26.5% |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 16.5% | +12.5% forced-labor 301 | 29% |
Every corridor page on this site — from the UK to China — has a corridor-specific calculator with the overlay already applied.
Why a $60 sweater costs ~$90 landed
The duty is only the start. On a £60 (≈$77) cotton sweater with £10 shipping:
- Duty at 26.5% (UK): ≈ $23
- MPF informal entry: $2.69
- USPS clearance: $9.35 (couriers: $14–$35)
Total: about $35 extra — a 45% uplift on the item price. The calculator does this math for any value, category, and origin.
Three ways to pay less (legally)
- Watch the fabric. The rate follows construction and material: a 0%-duty accessory (scarves under HTS 6214 vary; some silk lines run low) can sit next to a 16.5% sweater in the same order.
- Pick the origin. The same shirt from a Vietnamese or Indonesian factory may avoid the forced-labor overlay entirely — check where the shop actually ships from.
- Ship postal. The flat $9.35 USPS clearance beats courier brokerage on anything under a few hundred dollars.
What never works: asking the seller to mark the parcel as a gift or under-declare the value. That's customs fraud, and the penalties exceed the duty every time.
FAQs
What is the US import duty on clothing?
Knitted cotton garments (HTS 6110.20) carry a 16.5% general rate; wool and synthetic knitwear vary by weight and construction. On top of MFN duty, 2026 overlay tariffs add 10–35% depending on origin — China tops the scale.
Does the $800 de minimis exemption still cover clothing?
No. De minimis was suspended for all countries on August 29, 2025. Every clothing parcel is dutiable now, plus MPF and carrier clearance fees.
Is used clothing taxed the same?
Yes for mailed purchases — the HTS headings don't distinguish new from used for most apparel lines. Personal-use exemptions apply to accompanied baggage when traveling, not to shipped orders.
The European shop I want doesn't ship to the US — what can I do?
A US address service solves it: you order domestically, the shop ships to your US address, and the parcel clears customs like any other import. TaxFreeAddress (taxfreeaddr.com) provides shipping addresses you can use at checkout.
Calculate your landed cost
Duty, MPF, and carrier fees — broken down before you buy.