On this page
US IMPORT PLANNING
Price the delivered order after checking the actual product
For a US plywood or MDF import, identify the construction, producer, exporter and origin before calculating duties. Then combine the selected panel quotation with freight, import charges and delivery to the named receiving point. TSCA emission documents, customs classification and trade remedies answer different questions.
1. Give the broker a complete product description
Use one line for each construction. “Plywood, 18 mm” leaves out the face species, core and processing that can affect the import review. Keep the following description with the quotation and a clear face-and-edge photograph.
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Record | Include | Decision it supports |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Face/back species, all core layers or fibreboard substrate, thickness, dimensions and bond. | Identify the imported article and its proposed HTS classification. |
| Finished condition | Film, veneer, melamine or other covering; cut shapes, machining and intended application. | Compare the actual merchandise with the written scope and exclusions of relevant orders. |
| Supply chain | Producer, exporter, manufacturing country, manufacturing steps and source records. | Review customs origin and the producer/exporter combination. The loading port alone does not establish origin. |
| Entry | Quantity, value, destination port and intended entry date. | Obtain a dated assessment of the applicable measures and charges. |
Use the current USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule for classification and tariff notes. For AD/CVD, the written product scope controls; an HTS number by itself does not settle coverage. Commerce issues binding scope rulings, while CBP handles classification rulings. See Commerce’s scope and classification guidance.
Check current orders, not just a familiar product name
Commerce announced final determinations on hardwood and decorative plywood from China, Indonesia and Vietnam on 16 July 2026; the USITC announced affirmative injury determinations on 19 August 2026. These are reasons to check the current orders, scope and entry instructions for the offered construction. They do not establish one rate for every panel CUZI supplies. Sources: Commerce case summary and USITC determination.
The USITC distinguished all-softwood structural plywood from the hardwood and decorative product. It terminated the investigations for the specified softwood structural plywood categories after finding those imports negligible. Match the actual construction and any required designation to that distinction; a catalogue name such as “structural plywood” does not establish the import treatment.
Ask your broker to record the relevant case number, scope conclusion, producer/exporter basis, effective date and current cash-deposit instructions. Review applicable ordinary duties and additional measures, including Section 301 where relevant. Keep AD/CVD deposits separate from the final assessed liability; a deposit is not a guaranteed final cost. Search current proceedings through Commerce’s AD/CVD database.
2. Keep emissions, timber declarations and customs records distinct
- TSCA Title VI / CARB: match the producer, covered product, certification and labels to the panel being purchased. Follow the US emission-document checklist.
- Lacey Act: check the product’s HTS code and entry against the APHIS implementation schedule. Where a declaration is required, collect the applicable species, harvest-country and quantity information. MDF and other composite materials have specific declaration guidance; do not assume that all composite panels are exempt.
- Customs entry: reconcile the commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, classification, origin and applicable trade-remedy instructions for the shipped items.
APHIS provides the Lacey declaration schedule, composite-material designations and electronic filing guidance. A species designation does not remove the requirement for other declaration information.
3. Build a cost sheet to one receiving point
CUZI quotes panels in USD/m³, with FOB Qingdao or Lianyungang available. Specify the named port and agreed Incoterms edition. Compare offers at the same US warehouse or workshop, using the same item mix and usable output.
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Cost line | Obtain from | Check before adding |
|---|---|---|
| Panels and supplied work | Selected supplier quotation. | Price unit, net volume, quantities, packing and included processing. |
| International transport and insurance | Forwarder, carrier or the CIF quotation. | Named route, included charges and validity. Do not add freight already included in CIF again. |
| Duties and AD/CVD deposits | US customs broker using current official instructions. | Separate classification, customs value, rate basis, additional measures and deposit amounts by item. |
| Entry and destination costs | Broker, terminal and forwarder. | Applicable fees, bond, filing, handling, examination and storage exposure; identify open amounts. |
| Warehouse delivery | Local carrier and receiving team. | Drayage, appointments, unloading and other quoted services to the same endpoint. |
Planned cash outlay = selected goods and work + transport and insurance + entry duties/deposits/fees + destination handling + inland delivery. Add each included service once. Keep unpriced charges open and calculate a stated allowance separately; an empty cell is not zero.
Customs value is a separate calculation. Do not apply a duty percentage to the whole landed-cost total or automatically use a CIF price. Ask the broker to establish the dutiable value and any required additions or exclusions from the underlying records. See CBP’s guidance on CIF and customs value and commercial invoice value.
Allocate common costs without changing the total
If three items share an illustrative USD 2,400 inland-delivery charge and the agreed allocation is 50%, 30% and 20%, allocate USD 1,200, 720 and 480. The total remains USD 2,400. This demonstrates allocation only; it is not a freight quotation or a duty calculation. Calculate item-specific duties separately before allocating common transport costs.
Use the quotation comparison guide for unit conversion and finished-part costs, and the loading guide for net CBM, package dimensions and mass.
4. Complete the import review before booking
- At quotation: send the item description, planned origin and producer/exporter details to the broker. Record the scope questions and obtain the freight/destination cost breakdown.
- Before production: connect the selected construction, samples, required documents and quantities to one order revision. Identify any unresolved import condition before committing that item.
- Before loading: reconcile actual items, producer, pack quantities and weights with the invoice and packing list. Have the importer and forwarder confirm filing responsibilities and deadlines.
- At receiving: compare the shipment with the final pack list, document condition and record actual charges. Use the incoming inspection checklist.
CUZI’s regular production period is 7–15 days. Sailing, customs clearance and inland delivery are separate stages. Send the product, quantity, US port and receiving date to request a quotation for your US order; include your broker’s product-information requirements with the enquiry.
US import questions
Does TSCA compliance remove import duties?
No. TSCA Title VI concerns formaldehyde requirements for covered composite wood products. Tariff classification, origin and AD/CVD scope are separate import checks.
Is film faced plywood automatically outside hardwood plywood duties?
No. The sales name or film covering alone does not establish an exclusion. Give the broker the complete construction and use, then compare it with the current written scope and relevant rulings.
Can one duty rate be used for every item in a mixed container?
Only when the applicable classification, origin, trade-remedy treatment and rate basis actually match. Review each SKU first. Allocate common freight separately so a shared container does not erase item-specific duties.
Does a CIF quote include clearance and delivery to my warehouse?
CIF names a destination port and includes the seller’s contracted freight and insurance under that term. It does not by itself quote your complete import clearance and warehouse delivery. List the destination services and charges explicitly in the comparison.
What changes require another import-cost review?
Recheck changes to the construction, producer/exporter, origin, processing, shipment timing or applicable measures. Keep the broker’s dated conclusion with the revised item instead of carrying the previous shipment’s rate forward automatically.
Official sources and review date
Official sources checked on . Use the linked HTS, Commerce, CBP and APHIS records for the actual entry date. This guide provides a purchasing workflow; the importer’s classification, valuation and scope decisions must address the specific merchandise.
