Import duty from Germany to the USA
Short answer
Germany is an EU member, and since July 1, 2026 an all-inclusive 15% ceiling applies to EU-origin goods. The word that matters is ceiling: it caps a total rather than adding a layer, and getting that backwards inflates every estimate.
Working it out
Find the general rate for your classification
This is the starting point and, where it already reaches 15% or more, the finishing point too.
Apply the ceiling correctly
The EU arrangement caps the total at 15% all-inclusive. Goods whose general rate already equals or exceeds 15% pay the general rate; the ceiling does not stack on top of it.
Check the exclusions from the ceiling
Steel and aluminium articles sit outside it and remain under their own Section 232 rate. From September 1, 2026 aircraft and parts, cork, and generic pharmaceuticals of EU origin move to MFN-only treatment.
Add the fees
Processing fee by entry type; Harbor Maintenance Fee only for vessel cargo.
What you can compute right now
Federal processing fees do not depend on your classification. On an informal entry — most personal shipments — the fee is a fixed $2.69, $8.06 or $12.09. On a formal entry it is 0.3464% of the goods value, minimum $33.58, maximum $651.50. The Harbor Maintenance Fee is 0.125% but applies only to ocean vessel cargo, so it is zero for air and mail.
Open the calculatorWhat people get wrong
- Adding 15% on top of the general rate. It is a ceiling, not a surcharge — this single error is the most common one in EU estimates.
- Applying the ceiling to steel or aluminium articles, which are excluded and carry their own rate.
- Missing the September 1, 2026 carve-outs if your product is in one of the affected categories.
Common questions
Sources
- retrieved
- 2026-08-09
Primary source of truth for Column 1 general rates, special rates, and Chapter 99 subheadings.