Battery Landed Cost Calculator: FOB to Door Cost per kWh

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Importing LiFePO4 batteries from China? Go beyond the supplier’s unit price: this calculator walks through the full landed-cost chain — FOB value, freight, insurance, import duty, VAT, and clearance fees — and lands on the two numbers that matter for your buying decision: total landed cost and landed cost per kWh. Built for battery importers, wholesalers, and distributors comparing quotes.

Budget reference only. Duty and tax rates are your editable estimates — they are not official rates and change frequently. Results are planning estimates, not a customs quote. Always submit your figures to a licensed customs broker for verification before shipment.

Price basis: FOB — build up from factory price CIF — supplier quoted CIF already

1 · Shipment

Battery voltage

Capacity per unit (Ah)

Quantity (units)

Total energy in shipment:

2 · FOB → CIF

FOB unit price (USD)From your supplier quote (EXW/FOB).

Total freight, this shipment (USD)Ocean or air freight for the whole shipment, from your forwarder quote. Switch the value to compare sea vs air.

Cargo insurance rate (%)Industry convention ≈ 0.3% of (FOB value + freight). Edit to match your policy.

3 · Import duty & tax

Duty rate preset

Import duty rate (%)Your estimate — example only, not an official rate. Confirm the applicable HS code (typically 8507.60 for Li-ion batteries) and current rate with your customs broker.

Duty assessed onUS customs generally assesses duty on transaction value; the EU assesses on CIF.

VAT / import tax rate (%)Applied to (CIF + duty). US importers: enter 0 — there is no federal VAT at import (state sales/use tax is separate).

4 · Clearance fees (per shipment, USD)

Customs broker fee

Port / terminal chargesTHC, documentation, DG handling for Class 9 lithium batteries.

Inland freight to warehouse

FX rate to local currency (optional)Your own rate — no live FX feed. Leave empty to skip.

Landed cost breakdown

Goods value (FOB)
Freight
Insurance
CIF value
Import duty
VAT / import tax
Clearance fees (per shipment)
Total landed cost
Landed cost per unit
Landed cost per kWh
Total landed (local currency, illustrative)

Cost composition (USD)

Budget reference only — not a customs quote. Duty layers depend on HS classification, origin rules, trade-remedy measures, and entry date, and they change frequently (US stacked rates moved several times within 2026). Submit these figures to your licensed customs broker for verification before committing to a shipment.

Using these results with suppliers

For importers & distributors: lead with landed cost per kWh when comparing supplier quotes — a cheaper FOB price can lose to a better-packed CIF quote once duty is applied. Re-run the calculator with each forwarder’s freight quote to see the true sea-vs-air gap, and always confirm the duty stack for your exact HS code before signing.

After costing, verify what you are buying: see our Grade A vs Grade B LiFePO4 cells buyer’s guide before placing a wholesale order.

Turn your estimate into a real quote

Need an actual battery quotation or help estimating shipping costs from China? Contact LJY Energy — no signup needed to use this calculator.

Get a Landed Quote for Your Volume Explore Battery Products

From Landed Cost to Shelf Price: A Blank Worksheet

If you plan to resell, landed cost is only the first half of the answer. Margin is usually lost in the lines people add late: local delivery, warranty replacements, payment costs and channel fees. Copy the worksheet below, fill it with your own figures, and check the shelf price against what your local buyers actually pay. It contains no LJY Energy prices or margins and no example figures.

Line	What to enter	Where the figure comes from
A	Landed cost per unit	Result of the calculator above (includes freight, duty, VAT and clearance fees)
B	Local delivery to your shop or installer	Your carrier or your own van
C	Warranty reserve per unit	Your own reserve for replacements; settle the RMA split with the supplier first
D	Payment and currency cost	Your bank and currency conversion
E	Channel fees	Marketplace, card or platform fees, if you sell online
F	Total cost per unit	A + B + C + D + E
G	Shelf price you can defend	Check what local buyers pay for comparable batteries
H	Gross margin	(G − F) ÷ G

Quote lines to ask any supplier for

Exact model and configuration (cells, BMS, enclosure, labelling).
Unit price and the Incoterm it refers to.
Units per carton and per pallet, with weights and dimensions, so freight can be priced.
Which documents exist for that exact model and whose name is on each (UN38.3 test summary, SDS, certificates or test reports).
Sample terms, and how a failed unit is handled, in writing.

Before you rely on a landed-cost figure, confirm that the freight line includes the dangerous-goods surcharge and that your customs broker has checked the duty rate for your HS code. Both are inputs you enter yourself; this page does not publish official rates.

LJY Energy confirms these same lines in a written quotation for the model, quantity and Incoterm you ask about.

Ask for a quotation to fill these lines

You can also reach us on WhatsApp: +86 159 8945 0735.

Next steps: How to start a distribution business · Verify a supplier before you order · MOQ and sample order guide · Import and shipping guide · Warranty terms guide.

A lower quote is only cheaper if the savings survive the cost of failures. For an example of how a 15% lower quote can be compared with replacement costs, using stated assumptions, see the worked example in our guide to why Chinese lithium batteries can be so cheap.

How the calculation works

All formulas are open — no hidden assumptions:

Total shipment energy (kWh) = Voltage × Ah ÷ 1000 × Quantity
Goods value (FOB) = FOB unit price × Quantity
Insurance = (FOB value + Freight) × Insurance rate
CIF value = FOB value + Freight + Insurance (CIF mode: your entered CIF total)
Import duty = Duty base × Duty rate, where the base is CIF (EU-style) or FOB transaction value (US-style), chosen by you
VAT / import tax = (CIF + Duty) × VAT rate (US importers: enter 0 — no federal VAT at import)
Total landed cost = CIF + Duty + VAT + Broker fee + Port charges + Inland freight
Landed cost per unit = Total landed cost ÷ Quantity
Landed cost per kWh = Total landed cost ÷ Total shipment energy

Duty and tax rates are your editable estimates — illustrative examples only, never official rates. Actual duty depends on HS classification, origin rules, trade-remedy measures, and entry date, and changes frequently. This tool is for budget planning only and does not constitute customs or purchasing advice. Confirm all rates with a licensed customs broker.

EU importers, including Poland: customs duty is set by the EU Common Customs Tariff, so the same rate applies in every member state. As of 29 October 2026, TARIC commodity 8507 60 00 90 (lithium-ion accumulators, other) carries a 2.7% third-country duty, which applies to China-origin goods; that is the figure behind the EU preset above. Import VAT is different: each member state sets its own rate, so enter your country’s rate in the VAT field. For a worked example with German import VAT, see our Germany import duty and compliance guide.

Importers in India: there is no India preset, so choose “I’ll enter my own rate”. The tariff rate for 8507 60 00 is 20%, with a concessional 10% basic customs duty for most lithium-ion goods including stationary BESS; the 10% Social Welfare Surcharge is charged on the duty, and 18% IGST on the value plus duties. For an illustrative worked example in rupees, see our India import duty and compliance guide.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my actual import duty different from the calculator’s example rate?

Import duty on batteries is layered: a base MFN rate plus trade-remedy measures (such as Section 301 tariffs for Chinese goods) that depend on HS classification, country of origin, product use, and entry date. Rates change frequently — US stacked rates moved several times within 2026. The calculator’s rates are editable examples only; always confirm the applicable rate with a licensed customs broker.

What HS code do LiFePO4 batteries fall under?

Lithium-ion batteries, including LiFePO4 packs and modules, are typically classified under HS 8507.60 (e.g. US HTS 8507.60.0030 for fully encased battery energy storage systems or 8507.60.0090 for other Li-ion batteries, EU TARIC 8507 60 00 90). Subheadings and duty rates vary by country and product form, so treat this as a starting point and confirm classification with your customs broker — this is not legal advice.

Is import duty calculated on FOB or CIF value?

It depends on the destination country. US customs generally assesses duty on the transaction (FOB) value, while the EU assesses duty on the CIF value. The calculator lets you choose the duty base; in CIF mode the base is locked to CIF because the FOB split is unknown.

Should I use FOB mode or CIF mode?

Use FOB mode when your supplier quotes a factory/FOB price and you arrange freight yourself — the calculator builds the CIF value from your forwarder’s quote. Use CIF mode when the supplier quotes a single CIF price that already includes freight and insurance.

Are these results a customs quote?

No. Results are budget-reference planning estimates. Duty layers depend on HS classification, origin rules, trade remedies, and entry date, and they change frequently. Submit your figures to a licensed customs broker for verification before committing to a shipment.

What costs are not included in this calculator?

Warehousing, demurrage, compliance testing and certification, currency fluctuation, and country-specific import fees (such as the US Merchandise Processing Fee and Harbor Maintenance Fee) are not modeled — add them to the per-shipment fees section. The optional FX conversion uses your own rate, not a live feed.