China-US Tariffs Dropped to 10% in 2026 — But Your Total Shipping Cost May Have Gone Up

The headline sounded like good news.

In mid-2026, the United States lowered tariffs on Chinese imports from 20% to 10%. For Amazon FBA sellers sourcing from China, this looked like an automatic cost reduction.

Then the freight quotes came in.

Ocean freight rates from China to the US West Coast surged sharply in the weeks following the tariff announcement, as US importers rushed to move inventory before any policy reversal. A 40-foot container to the West Coast that was running at $1,900inMarch2026climbedtoward$1,900inMarch2026climbedtoward4,500 and above by May and June.

The tariff went down. The freight went up. For many sellers, the total landed cost per unit stayed the same — or increased.

Here is how to calculate whether your supply chain actually benefited, and how CDT structures DDP pricing to protect sellers from getting caught in the middle.

The Calculation Most Sellers Are Getting Wrong

Sellers who focused on the tariff reduction without adjusting for freight market conditions are seeing the impact on margins now.

The correct calculation for landed cost per unit from China to Amazon FBA USA is:

Product cost + Freight (all-in DDP) + Amazon FBA fees + Prep costs = Total landed cost

When freight rises 74% on certain lanes at the same time tariffs fall 10%, the net impact depends on the freight-to-product-value ratio of your specific cargo.

For low-value, high-weight products — furniture, home goods, sporting equipment — freight is a significant percentage of landed cost. A 74% freight increase on these categories likely wiped out the tariff saving and then some.

For high-value, low-weight products — electronics accessories, jewelry, specialty goods — freight is a smaller percentage of landed cost. The tariff reduction may have produced genuine savings despite higher ocean rates.

What Stable Capacity Access Actually Means in a Volatile Market

The sellers who absorbed the June 2026 rate spike without disruption had one thing in common: they were not booking spot freight.

Spot rates move with the market. When US importers rushed to move cargo after the tariff cut, spot rates surged because available capacity was absorbed within days.

CDT's partnerships with DHL, FedEx, UPS, and DAP are contracted capacity arrangements — not spot bookings. This means CDT clients had access to shipping space and preferential rates during the June 2026 surge, while sellers relying on spot market forwarders were facing $4,500-plus quotes or blank sailing delays.

This is the practical value of working with a freight partner that has been in the China-to-US lane for 11 years.

How CDT's DDP Pricing Protects Your Unit Economics

CDT quotes DDP — Delivered Duty Paid — which means the price quoted includes:

• Ocean or air freight from China to your Amazon FBA warehouse
• AMS pre-filing (1 to 2 days, included)
• US customs clearance at 99% success rate
• Import duties at the current tariff rate (10% as of June 2026)
• Last-mile delivery to Amazon FBA
• Full FBA prep including FNSKU labeling, polybagging, and protective packaging

One number. No adjustments when duties fluctuate. No separate freight invoice followed by a customs invoice followed by a delivery invoice.

When tariff rates change — as they have repeatedly throughout 2025 and 2026 — CDT adjusts the duty component of the DDP quote to reflect the current rate. You always know your total landed cost before cargo leaves China.

Sensitive Goods: Zero Surcharge Regardless of Market Conditions

One category where the tariff-freight dynamic has been particularly sharp is electronics and lithium battery products. These categories faced both tariff uncertainty and freight surcharges from many forwarders.

CDT ships electronics, lithium batteries, liquids, and powders with zero surcharge. This applies regardless of market conditions.

Covered terms: DDP, DDU, DAP, CIF, CFR across all 11 CDT markets — US, CA, UK, AU, DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, CH, NZ.

The Right Question to Ask Your Freight Forwarder

Before your next China shipment, ask your current forwarder for one number: the complete DDP cost per unit from your Chinese supplier to your Amazon FBA warehouse, including duties at the current tariff rate.

If they cannot give you that number upfront — or if the final invoice differs from the quote — you are absorbing cost uncertainty that CDT's clients are not.

Send CDT your cargo details — product category, weight, dimensions, destination FBA warehouse, and approximate unit count. We return a complete DDP quote within 2 hours, with the current duty rate included.

Get your free all-in DDP quote at cdtshipping.com