---
title: "Why Aren't Customs Costs Included in My Quote?"
description: "Explains why customs costs are excluded from Flexport quotes and lists charges that may appear on the final invoice: duties, VAT, customs exams, HMF, MPF, and PGA fees."
language: en
canonical: https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/help/customs-costs-not-quoted/
lifecycle: live
---

# Why Aren't Customs Costs Included in My Quote?

The quote that your Flexport team will share with you does not include customs-related costs, because the total cost of customs is unknown at the time of quoting. 

The following customs charges are not included in your quote, but may appear on your invoice if applicable: 

- **Customs duties or VAT**. You can [estimate the duties](https://www.flexport.com/help/349-how-do-i-estimate-customs-duties) associated with your shipment if you know your product’s [HTS code](https://www.flexport.com/help/219-what-are-hs-and-hts-codes).

- **Customs exams**. Shipments are pulled for [customs exams](https://www.flexport.com/help/30-customs-exams-impact) at random and the [associated costs](https://www.flexport.com/help/299-customs-holds-and-exams) are the responsibility of the importer.

- **HMF (Harbor Maintenance Fee)**. The [HMF](https://www.flexport.com/help/77-what-is-the-harbor-maintenance-fee-hmf) is charged for products imported via ocean through U.S. ports and is calculated at 0.125% of the cargo value that was declared on the [commercial invoice](https://www.flexport.com/help/24-commercial-invoice-and-packing-list-what-you-need-to-know). 

- **MPF (Merchandise Processing Fee)**. The [MPF](https://www.flexport.com/help/76-what-is-the-merchandise-processing-fee-mpf) is charged for most imports into the U.S. and is calculated at 0.3464% of the cargo value that was declared on the [commercial invoice](https://www.flexport.com/help/24-commercial-invoice-packing-list) with a minimum value of $26.22 and a maximum of $508.70.

- **Partner Government Agency fee**. If your product falls under the purview of a Partner Government agency (such as the FDA, USDA, or FWS), there is a small additional fee that will be listed on your invoice.

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*This is a markdown version of [https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/help/customs-costs-not-quoted/](https://www.flex.thisisbrew.com/help/customs-costs-not-quoted/) for AI/LLM consumption.*