Model your landed cost before you order.
Seven inputs. Every line visible — sourcing fee, freight, duty, VAT — calculated the way customs calculates them, not the way a courier quotes. Change the quantity and the whole number moves.
Landed cost · SAR
Rates are current indicative rates for consolidated air and sea LCL from Guangzhou, including clearance and delivery. The calculation follows the published formula: VAT on CIF plus duty, ZATCA fee capped at SAR 500 per declaration. Final figures depend on the HS code and the freight rate on the day of booking.
What the number includes, and what it does not
An honest calculator is more useful than a low one. Here is the boundary.
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Sourcing fee, 8% of goods value | Any charge your destination country raises outside the declaration |
| Collection from the seller to our Guangzhou warehouse | Duty reclassification if the HS code changes on inspection |
| Consolidation, repacking and 30 days of storage | Function testing, certification fees (SABER, CST, SFDA) |
| International freight, insurance, customs duty and VAT | Storage beyond the free window, or charges after an abandoned shipment |
| Clearance and delivery to the address you give us | Installation, assembly, or delivery inside a restricted area |
Why the tax is bigger than it looks
The duty is taxed. That single sentence explains most of the gap between a courier’s door price and the invoice that arrives later.
CIF goods value + international freight + insurance
Duty CIF × duty rate for the HS code
VAT (CIF + duty) × VAT rate
ZATCA min(CIF × 0.15%, SAR 500) — Saudi only
Landed CIF + duty + VAT + ZATCA
Delivered landed + sourcing fee
On a 42 kg air shipment into Riyadh, the taxes (SAR 1,093) exceed the freight (SAR 672). Buyers compare forwarders on freight and discover the difference when duty is calculated on a CIF value that includes freight they had not budgeted for. Ask for the CIF breakdown, not the door price.
The same carton, two different tax bills
This is why a Gulf-wide rate is always wrong for at least one of the two markets.
42 kg consolidated air · USD 1,200 goods · consumer electronics
The identical basket, priced in each market. Full detail on the destination pages.
| Line | Saudi Arabia | UAE |
|---|---|---|
| Goods value | SAR 4,500.00 | AED 4,407.00 |
| CIF | SAR 5,228.25 | AED 5,123.17 |
| Duty 5% | SAR 261.41 | AED 256.16 |
| VAT | 15% → SAR 823.45 | 5% → AED 268.97 |
| ZATCA fee | SAR 7.84 | none |
| Total taxes | SAR 1,092.70 | AED 525.12 |
| Delivered, all-in | SAR 6,680.95 | AED 6,000.85 |
The calculator, answered plainly
Why is the VAT calculated on CIF plus duty rather than on the goods value?
My shipment is under SAR 1,000. Why is there still VAT?
Why does the air freight change when I add volume?
Is this the price I will be charged?
Now send us the link, and we will price it properly.
The calculator tells you the shape of the cost. A quote confirms the HS code, the rate for your booking date, and whether the goods need certification before they can enter.