Customs
CIF value: the base on which taxes are calculated
The CIF value (cost, insurance and freight) is the product's value plus the cost of insurance and international freight to the destination country, and the base on which most customs authorities calculate duties and taxes.
Two countries can charge the same duty percentage and assess different amounts if one uses the product value (FOB) as the base and the other uses CIF, which includes freight.
The declared value must match the sales invoice. Under-declaring to pay less tax is the most frequent cause of holds and fines.
Shipping with MailAmericas
How CIF value works in our operation
MailAmericas declares the CIF value from the sale value reported by the seller and the actual freight on the international leg. The tax tables by destination it shares with sellers state whether each country assesses on CIF or FOB.
Request a quoteFrequently asked question
Which value do I declare: the sale price or the product cost?
The sale price to the buyer, the one on the invoice. Customs may request the invoice to verify it.