Costs and budgeting
Customs fees, port charges, and other import costs
The cost categories that make up a landed vehicle, why a single quoted number is misleading, and who determines each figure.
- Author
- Nexus JDM Imports
- Review status
- Reviewed and updated July 2026
Anyone who gives you one confident landed price for a vehicle that has not been classified, booked, or entered is guessing. A more useful approach is to budget by category, understand which figures are set by government rules and which are set by providers, and then tighten the estimate as real quotes arrive.
Duty
Under CBP guidance, passenger automobiles generally carry a 2.5% base duty rate and trucks generally carry a 25% base duty rate. Classification is what decides which applies, and it is not always obvious from how a vehicle looks or how a listing describes it. Additional Chapter 99 tariffs or other trade measures may also apply. A licensed customs broker should confirm the current rates for your specific vehicle at the time of entry.
Merchandise processing fee
For formal entries, MPF is calculated at 0.3464% of the entered value, subject to an annual minimum and maximum set by CBP. Those minimum and maximum values are adjusted periodically, so check the current figures at the official source rather than relying on a number written in an article.
Harbor maintenance fee
HMF is generally 0.125% for qualifying commercial cargo arriving by vessel.
Provider-set costs
These are the categories where published price ranges age badly. Rather than quoting stale numbers, plan on each of these as a line item and fill it in from a current written quote.
| Cost category | Who sets it | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Customs broker fee | Licensed customs broker | Varies by provider, port, shipment, and timing |
| Bond or filing costs where applicable | Broker or surety | Varies by provider, port, shipment, and timing |
| Terminal, release, devanning, examination | Port and terminal operators | Varies by provider, port, shipment, and timing |
| Storage and demurrage | Port and terminal operators | A risk, not a fixed cost. Grows if release is delayed |
| Inland delivery | Transport company | Varies by distance, equipment, and schedule |
| State title, registration, and tax | State motor-vehicle authority | Set by your state, not by any provider |
| Nexus service fee | Nexus JDM Imports | See the services pages for current fees |
Who determines what
CBP sets the fee structure. The licensed customs broker determines classification and files the entry. Providers set their own service charges. Your state sets title, registration, and tax. Nexus can connect you with a broker and facilitate communication and document follow-up, but Nexus does not file entries and does not determine authoritative duties.
Build your budget with every category present, including a contingency, and treat any single headline number as a starting point rather than a commitment.
Official references
Ready for the next step?
Build a planning estimate, compare what each service covers, or send us your request and we will tell you what happens next.
Questions? Email admin@nexusjdmimports.com.