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Guide

How to compare landed costs when sourcing products from New Zealand or other countries

By TheFinanceBase Team 11 min read

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The supplier with the lowest unit price is not necessarily the cheapest source. Compare suppliers only after converting every quote to the same endpoint—such as delivered, customs-cleared and ready for sale at your warehouse, in NZD—then divide the complete cost by the number of saleable units received.

For New Zealand imports, include the 15% import GST base, tariff duty, Customs and MPI levies, freight, insurance, brokerage, compliance and the cost of losses or delays. Normalize the Incoterm, named place, currency, quantity and delivery date before ranking countries.

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What landed cost means

Landed cost is the all-in cost of obtaining saleable inventory at a defined destination. It is broader than the factory or supplier price and broader than the freight quote. A useful comparison endpoint is “delivered and customs-cleared to my warehouse in NZD.” You can choose another endpoint, but use exactly the same one for every supplier and scenario.

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For each stock-keeping unit (SKU) and shipment scenario, calculate:

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Total landed cost = product cost + origin inland freight + export documentation and handling + main international freight + cargo insurance + destination port, terminal and handling charges + customs broker and entry fees + import duty + import GST or VAT + Customs, MPI or other border levies + permits, testing and compliance + destination inland delivery + storage or demurrage + financing cost + expected loss allocation.

Then calculate landed cost per saleable unit:

Total landed cost ÷ saleable units received.

Use one view for cash paid at import and another after recoverable GST or VAT. A tax-registered business may recover import tax, but it still needs the cash to release the goods and may wait to claim it. A non-registered buyer should normally treat the tax as a permanent cost.

Choose the comparison endpoint before asking for quotes

Two quotes cannot be compared if one ends at the export port and the other ends at your warehouse. Write the endpoint in the spreadsheet and in the request for quotation. Examples include:

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  • Ex-works pickup at the supplier’s premises.
  • Loaded on board at a named export port.
  • Delivered to a named New Zealand port, before import clearance.
  • Delivered, customs-cleared and duty-paid to a named warehouse.
  • Delivered to your warehouse, inspected and ready for sale.

The last option is often the most useful for procurement decisions because it exposes all buyer-paid costs. If your business uses a different point for accounting or inventory control, calculate both and label them clearly.

Define the physical and commercial basis

State the SKU specification, packaging, minimum order quantity, shipment size, pallet or carton count, delivery date and service level. A price per unit may change when packaging, labelling, palletisation or a full-container quantity changes. Ask whether the quote is for net or gross weight, and whether the number of units is ordered, shipped or saleable.

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Use one currency and one date

Convert every line to NZD using the exchange-rate date and method you will use for the import entry. New Zealand Customs sets rates in advance and converts foreign-currency values to NZD for duty and valuation. Record the rate date beside each quote; do not mix a supplier’s commercial rate with Customs’ entry rate without showing the difference.

Normalize Incoterms instead of comparing labels

Incoterms® 2020 contains 11 rules that allocate obligations, costs and risks. They do not make two quotes comparable by themselves. The named place is as important as the three-letter rule: “DAP Auckland” and “DAP my warehouse” are different scopes.

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Quote term Usually arranged or paid by seller Buyer must verify or add
EXW or FCA EXW generally makes the goods available at the seller’s site; FCA includes delivery to the agreed carrier or place. Origin pickup, export handling where excluded, international freight, insurance, destination charges, clearance, duty, tax and final delivery.
FOB Delivery and export clearance to the named port, with the goods loaded on board under the agreed scope. Confirm exactly which origin charges are included. Add ocean freight, insurance if not included, destination charges, clearance, duty, tax and delivery.
CFR Seller arranges carriage to the named destination port. Insurance, destination terminal charges, import clearance, duty, tax and inland delivery.
CIF Seller arranges carriage and cargo insurance to the named destination port. Check the insurance scope and amount. Add destination charges, clearance, duty, tax and inland delivery.
DAP Seller normally arranges carriage to the named destination. Import clearance, duty, tax and any destination charges left to the buyer. Confirm whether the named destination is a port, terminal or warehouse.
DDP Seller is responsible under the named destination for import clearance and applicable duty and tax. Request a breakdown. Verify that local delivery, brokerage, levies, permits and any tax treatment are genuinely included and legally workable.

For every term, ask the seller to identify the named place, the carrier, the validity period, included origin charges, destination exclusions, insurance limit, customs responsibility and who pays demurrage if a shipment is delayed. Obtain a destination-side quote for every line the seller does not include.

New Zealand import costs that change the answer

Import GST

New Zealand Customs calculates GST at 15% on the value of the goods plus any duty, freight, postage or courier charges and insurance. The GST base is therefore usually larger than the supplier invoice. For a shipment with a customs value of NZ$20,000, NZ$1,000 of duty and NZ$2,000 of freight and insurance, the illustrative GST base is NZ$23,000 and the GST is NZ$3,450. Confirm the actual valuation and included charges with Customs or your broker.

Show import GST on its own line. If your business can claim it as input tax, calculate both:

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  • Cash landed cost: includes GST paid to release the goods.
  • After-recovery accounting landed cost: excludes the recoverable portion.

Do not remove GST merely because recovery is possible if your decision is constrained by cash flow, borrowing limits or a delayed filing cycle.

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Duty and tariff classification

Duty is not determined by supplier country alone. Customs identifies four controlling factors: the item’s tariff classification, whether a concession applies, where the item was made and where it was exported from. Obtain the correct HS or tariff code and retain the product description, materials, use and origin evidence supporting it.

A preferential trade agreement can make one country cheaper even when its factory price is higher. Use the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Tariff Finder to compare preferential commitments across more than 110 markets and more than 167 WTO members and observers, then verify the currently applied rate with the importing country’s customs authority. A preference normally depends on origin rules and documentary proof; do not assume that shipping from a low-tariff country proves the goods were made there.

Customs and MPI levies

For high-value imports from 1 April 2026, the combined Customs and MPI levy is NZ$51.81 for air and NZ$118.44 for sea, before any GST applied to the charges. Treat these as shipment-level costs: allocate them across the units in the shipment rather than attaching the full amount to one SKU. Confirm the current levy schedule for your entry type, because the amount and treatment can change.

Low-value and high-value consignments

For a shipment over NZ$1,000, plan for formal import processing and a Customs Number. For ordinary consignments at or below NZ$1,000, an overseas supplier may collect GST and Customs generally does not collect duty or GST, subject to exceptions such as alcohol and tobacco. Commercial consignments can have different treatment, so confirm the rule for your goods with New Zealand Customs or a licensed broker before splitting orders to remain below a threshold.

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Build the calculation one line at a time

Use a separate row for each SKU, supplier and shipment scenario. The following sequence prevents a bundled quote from hiding a cost:

  1. Start with the product amount. Multiply the quoted unit price by the ordered quantity and record currency, price validity and payment terms.
  2. Add origin movement. Include pickup, consolidation, packing, palletisation, export documentation, inspection and terminal handling not already in the term.
  3. Add international transport and insurance. Record mode, route, quoted transit, fuel or peak surcharges, quote expiry and the insured value.
  4. Set the customs value. Apply the valuation method and the current Customs exchange rate to the relevant foreign-currency amounts.
  5. Apply the tariff rate. Record the HS code, origin, concession or preference and duty amount. If classification is uncertain, run a high case using the plausible higher rate.
  6. Calculate import GST or VAT. Include the goods value, duty, freight and insurance in the New Zealand GST base where applicable.
  7. Add border and destination charges. Include Customs and MPI levies, broker or entry fees, port and terminal fees, permits, biosecurity, testing, quarantine, storage, demurrage and final inland delivery.
  8. Add business-specific costs. Include financing, currency conversion fees, inspection, expected defects, shrinkage, warranty replacements and disposal.
  9. Convert to saleable units. Subtract units expected to be unsaleable and divide total cost by the remainder.
  10. Show recovery separately. Present cash cost and cost after recoverable GST or VAT, with the recovery assumption documented.

Worksheet fields to use

A practical worksheet should contain these columns. Keep source documents beside the row so another person can reproduce the result.

Category Fields
Supplier and origin Supplier, country of manufacture, export country, SKU, product description and HS or tariff code.
Commercial quote Incoterm, named place, quantity, unit price, currency, FX date, payment terms and quote validity.
Origin and freight Origin inland cost, export fees, freight mode, route, main freight, insurance, surcharges and transit estimate.
Import calculation Customs value, duty rate and amount, GST or VAT base and amount, preference or concession evidence, Customs and MPI levies.
Destination Brokerage, entry fees, port or terminal handling, permits, testing, compliance, storage, demurrage and inland delivery.
Risk and yield Payment or financing cost, expected defect or shrinkage allowance, ordered units, expected saleable units and delay assumption.
Outputs Total cash landed cost, recoverable tax, after-recovery cost, cost per ordered unit and cost per saleable unit.

Worked comparison: why the cheaper quote can lose

The following is an illustrative model, not a market benchmark. Assume two suppliers offer the same 1,000-unit product, and both quotes are normalized to delivery and customs clearance at your warehouse. Supplier A has a lower factory price but a longer route; Supplier B has a higher product price and a preferential duty rate supported by valid origin documentation.

Illustrative line Supplier A Supplier B
Products NZ$18,000 NZ$20,000
Origin, export and main freight NZ$4,200 NZ$2,600
Insurance NZ$180 NZ$150
Duty NZ$1,116 NZ$454
Customs, MPI, broker and destination charges NZ$1,450 NZ$1,450
GST at 15% on the applicable base NZ$3,519 NZ$3,480
Expected defects and shrinkage allowance NZ$360 NZ$200
Total cash landed cost NZ$28,825 NZ$28,334
Saleable units 980 990
Cash cost per saleable unit NZ$29.41 NZ$28.62

Supplier A’s NZ$18,000 product total is NZ$2,000 below Supplier B’s, yet the illustrative saleable-unit cost is higher because freight, duty and expected loss offset the factory-price advantage. Replace every illustrative amount with your broker, carrier and supplier figures; the method is what makes the comparison useful.

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Stress-test the ranking instead of trusting one estimate

Run at least low, base and high cases for the variables most likely to move the result:

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  • Foreign-exchange rate and Customs conversion date.
  • Freight, fuel, peak-season and port surcharges.
  • Duty rate if classification, concession or origin evidence is unresolved.
  • Shipment size, container utilisation and minimum order quantity.
  • Transit delay, storage and demurrage.
  • Defect, damage, shrinkage and inspection yield.
  • Recoverability and timing of import GST or VAT.

For each case, keep the same comparison endpoint and saleable-unit definition. A supplier that wins only under an optimistic freight rate may not be the lower-cost source. If a small change in duty or FX reverses the ranking, negotiate documentation, lock a freight validity period or obtain a binding classification before committing.

How to compare a New Zealand supplier with an overseas supplier

Buying from New Zealand

A domestic purchase may avoid an international import entry, overseas freight and import GST, but do not assume it is automatically cheaper. Include domestic delivery, any supplier-applied tax, local compliance, payment terms, minimum quantity, lead time and the value of faster replenishment. If the domestic supplier imports the goods first, ask whether its price already embeds duty, freight and border charges; do not add them again.

Importing into New Zealand

For an overseas source, obtain the complete chain from factory to warehouse. Verify origin and tariff evidence, check whether the quote is DAP or DDP rather than assuming the label covers every local charge, and ask who is the importer of record. A DDP price can be attractive for budgeting, but a breakdown is still needed to compare tax recovery, brokerage, levies and delivery scope.

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Exporting from New Zealand to another country

If New Zealand is the export country, repeat the same model using the destination country’s tariff, tax, customs valuation, clearance and levy rules. MFAT’s Tariff Finder can identify preferential commitments, but the destination customs authority controls the currently applied rate and documentary requirements. Change the endpoint to the buyer’s warehouse in the destination currency, then show any recoverable destination tax separately.

Common errors and fixes

  • Comparing EXW with DDP: normalize both to the same named warehouse endpoint and add every excluded line.
  • Using export country as origin: record country of manufacture and preserve origin evidence for any preference.
  • Applying duty to the invoice only: confirm the customs valuation method and include the relevant freight and insurance components.
  • Ignoring shipment-level charges: allocate levies, brokerage and port fees across the actual units in the shipment.
  • Dividing by ordered units: use expected saleable units after defects, damage and shrinkage.
  • Hiding recoverable GST: show cash and after-recovery views, with the registration and timing assumption.
  • Assuming a threshold workaround is safe: confirm commercial low-value treatment with Customs, especially for restricted goods.
  • Using stale freight or FX: record quote validity and run high and low cases before approving the purchase.
  • Leaving destination fees blank: obtain a written broker, carrier or terminal estimate; if a value is genuinely unavailable, mark it “not stated” and model a contingency rather than silently treating it as zero.

A decision checklist before placing the order

  1. Have all quotes been converted to the same Incoterm rule, named place, quantity, currency and delivery date?
  2. Is the country of manufacture documented separately from the export country?
  3. Has the HS or tariff code been checked, with any concession or preferential-origin evidence?
  4. Does the calculation include origin charges, freight, insurance, destination fees, brokerage, duty, GST, levies, compliance and final delivery?
  5. Is the New Zealand Customs exchange rate and import-processing threshold treatment appropriate for this shipment?
  6. Are Customs and MPI levies current for the entry date and transport mode?
  7. Are saleable units, defect allowance, storage and demurrage included?
  8. Are cash and after-tax-recovery costs both visible?
  9. Does the supplier’s DAP or DDP wording identify who is importer of record and exactly what is included?
  10. Does the supplier remain competitive in the high-case freight, FX, duty and delay scenario?

The practical conclusion

Rank countries and suppliers by cost per saleable unit at the same delivered endpoint—not by catalogue price, freight alone or Incoterm label. For New Zealand imports, the decisive lines are often the 15% GST base, tariff classification and origin, current Customs and MPI levies, destination handling and the units that survive inspection. A worksheet that exposes those assumptions gives you a defensible purchasing decision and shows which uncertainty is worth negotiating before you sign.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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