EU to US Import Duty Calculator

A $750 Italian leather bag? Ships duty-free, no questions asked. A $1,200 one? Pays 4.0% on the full CIF value, no partial exemption, no sliding scale. The de minimis applies equally regardless of origin — EU goods get the same treatment as any other country's shipments. CBP scrutiny on EU de minimis entries is markedly lighter than on Chinese parcels. EU exporters tend to have stronger compliance records, and the political appetite for targeting EU small parcels simply isn't there. For the full rules and edge cases, check our de minimis value guide.

No Section 301 — The Key Difference from China

EU goods are not subject to Section 301 tariffs. Those apply only to China, with a few narrow, product-specific exceptions that don't touch EU manufacturing. Here's what that difference looks like in practice: an Italian machine tool pays 4.0% MFN. The same machine tool from China would pay 4.0% MFN plus 25% Section 301 List 1 — a combined 27.5%.

For transatlantic trade, the absence of Section 301 isn't just a nice-to-have. It's the single biggest cost advantage EU exporters hold over their Chinese competitors in the US market. That gap has reshaped sourcing decisions across entire industries over the past five years. If you're comparing EU vs. China landed costs side by side, see our Section 301 China tariffs guide for the complete rate tables by HTS chapter.

Sector-Specific EU-US Tariff Dynamics

Different product categories face meaningfully different rates. Here's how the main EU export sectors break down:

• Machinery (Chapters 84–85): 0–4.5% MFN, averaging 4.0%. German and Italian machine tools, automation equipment, and industrial components dominate this category. Most subheadings cluster in the 0–3.5% range, and many precision instruments actually enter duty-free.
• Luxury goods (Chapters 42, 71, 91): 2.9–9.8%. Handbags land at 6–9%, gold jewelry at 5.8%, watches at 4–6%. French and Italian luxury houses face meaningfully higher rates than industrial exporters — a $5,000 handbag can carry over $400 in duty alone, before you even factor in MPF and HMF.
• Automotive (Chapter 87): Passenger vehicles at 4.0%. But light trucks? 25% — the "chicken tax," a 1963 retaliatory tariff aimed at European light trucks that's still on the books six decades later. German automakers shipping SUVs and commercial vehicles feel this one acutely.
• Food and agriculture (Chapters 02–22): Rates vary wildly. Wine at 5.3–12.7 cents per liter. Cheese at 10–25%. Olive oil at 3.4–6.4 cents per kilogram. The US-EU tariff structure is generally low for industrial goods but has specific, sharp teeth in agriculture and certain consumer categories.

Dig deeper into country-specific rates: Germany to US — Automotive, France to US — Luxury Goods, Italy to US — Machinery.

The Airbus-Boeing Dispute — Tariff Ping-Pong

For 17 years (2004–2021), the US and EU traded tariffs on each other's goods over the Airbus-Boeing subsidy dispute. At its peak, the US imposed 15–25% additional duties on $7.5 billion of EU goods — French wine, Italian cheese, Spanish olives, German machinery, Scotch whisky. The WTO authorized every cent, and importers caught in the crossfire paid real money.

Those tariffs were suspended in June 2021 under a 5-year truce. The suspension holds through mid-2026, but a permanent resolution hasn't been reached. If negotiations fail, the tariffs could snap back — and they'd snap back fast, because the legal authorization never went away. For importers of affected EU goods, the 4.0% MFN rate is the current reality, but the 15–25% additional rate is still legally authorized and could return with minimal notice. If your product category was on the USTR target lists, it's worth keeping an eye on the trade press.

Key HTS Chapters for EU-US Trade

• Chapter 84: Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery — 0–4.5% MFN. Germany is the US's largest EU machinery supplier by a wide margin.
• Chapter 85: Electrical machinery — 0–3.5%. Siemens, ABB, and other European manufacturers are major exporters to the US market.
• Chapter 22: Beverages, spirits, vinegar — wine at 5.3–12.7 cents per liter, Scotch and Irish whisky at 0–2.8 cents per proof liter. France, Italy, and Ireland lead EU alcohol exports to the US.
• Chapter 30: Pharmaceuticals — most are 0% MFN. Ireland and Germany dominate EU pharma exports to the US, and the duty-free status is a major reason pharma supply chains cluster in those countries.
• Chapter 87: Vehicles — cars at 4.0%, trucks at 25%. The chicken tax, a 1963 retaliatory tariff on light trucks, is still on the books.
• Chapter 71: Jewelry and precious metals — 2.5–13.5%. Italian gold and French luxury jewelry carry some of the highest MFN rates in the EU-US corridor.

EU Origin Certification — What CBP Needs

To claim the EU MFN rate — rather than a higher rate for goods that transited through the EU but originated elsewhere — CBP needs the country of origin clearly stated on the commercial invoice. A detail that trips up new importers every week: "EU" is not an acceptable country of origin on a CBP entry. You need the specific member state — Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and so on.

Goods shipped from an EU warehouse but manufactured in China carry Chinese origin and pay China's rates, including Section 301 if applicable. The shipping country on the bill of lading doesn't determine the rate — the manufacturing country does. CBP will catch this if your invoice is sloppy, and the duty difference can be enormous. Get the paperwork right the first time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the duty rate for EU goods entering the US?

The average is 4.0% MFN for manufactured goods, but it varies by category. Industrial machinery runs 0–4.5%. Luxury handbags go 6–9%. Passenger cars sit at 4.0%. Pharmaceuticals are mostly 0%. No Section 301 applies to EU goods — it's one of the lowest effective rate schedules for any non-FTA trading partner. The US and EU have structured their tariff books around high-value manufactured goods that both sides want to keep moving.

Do EU shipments under $800 pay US customs duty?

No. Section 321 de minimis exempts shipments under $800 from all duties. This applies to EU goods the same as any other origin — no special treatment, no exceptions, no asterisks. If the shipment value is under $800, the duty line is zero. If it's over $800, duty applies to the full CIF value, not just the amount above the threshold.

Are there any additional tariffs on EU goods beyond MFN rates?

Currently no — the Airbus-Boeing tariffs are suspended through mid-2026, but they could return if negotiations stall. Certain EU steel and aluminum products faced Section 232 tariffs (25% steel, 10% aluminum) from 2018, now replaced by a tariff-rate quota system for most EU-origin steel. Aluminum remains more complicated — if you're importing EU aluminum, check the current quota status before booking freight.

Does the US have a free trade agreement with the EU?

No. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) was negotiated for years but never concluded. EU goods enter under standard MFN rates — which, for most manufactured goods, are already low at 4.0% average. The lack of an FTA matters more for agriculture and certain consumer goods where MFN rates climb into the double digits. For industrial exporters, the absence of an FTA is barely noticeable in the duty column.