Import cost calculator
Sri Lanka Import Cost Calculator
Pick a product, enter what you'll pay for it, and get the full end-to-end landed cost — customs duty calculated to the cent from the 2026 Sri Lanka Customs Tariff, plus freight, insurance and clearing. We'll also show you the cheapest country to buy it from.
What are you importing?
We'll read the product — and for a vehicle, its engine size, year and price — and fill this in for you.
How your Sri Lanka import cost is built up
The price on the invoice is only the start. Your true landed cost — what the goods actually cost you once they clear Colombo customs — stacks up in four steps:
- 1
Product price (FOB)
What the seller charges you for the goods, before shipping.
- 2
+ Freight & insurance = CIF value
Add the cost to ship and insure the goods to Colombo. Sri Lanka Customs assess duty on this CIF value, not the bare product price.
- 3
+ Customs duty & taxes (7 layers)
CID, PAL, CESS, Excise/SPD, SCL, SSCL and VAT — stacked from the 2026 tariff. For vehicles this also includes the surcharge, luxury tax and VEL.
- 4
+ Local clearing charges = Total landed cost
Clearing agent, port/terminal handling and inland transport to your door.
The duty layers are exact for the CIF you enter; freight, insurance and clearing are editable estimates. Comparing origins? The same product can be much cheaper from an FTA partner country — the calculator ranks them for you. Importing a vehicle? Use the vehicle import calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the landed cost of an import in Sri Lanka?▾
Landed cost is the total you actually pay to get goods to your door in Sri Lanka: the product price (FOB), plus international freight and insurance (together the CIF value), plus all Sri Lanka customs duties and taxes, plus local clearing and inland transport charges. This calculator adds all four together.
How do I calculate import tax in Sri Lanka?▾
Import tax in Sri Lanka is seven levies stacked on top of each other — Customs Import Duty (CID), PAL, CESS, Excise/SPD, SCL, SSCL and VAT — each applied to the CIF value or a cumulative base. Pick your product and enter the price above and the calculator applies all seven from the 2026 Sri Lanka Customs Tariff automatically.
What is CIF value and why does it matter?▾
CIF stands for Cost, Insurance and Freight — the product price plus what you pay to ship and insure it to Colombo. Sri Lanka Customs assess duty on the CIF value, not just the product price, so your shipping and insurance costs increase the duty you pay.
Which country is cheapest to import from?▾
It depends on the product’s HS code and Sri Lanka’s trade agreements. Goods from India (ISFTA), Pakistan (PSFTA), Singapore, or APTA/SAFTA members can be duty-free or reduced, while the same item from a country with no FTA pays the full rate. The calculator ranks every sourcing origin by total landed cost so you can see the cheapest.
How accurate is the estimate?▾
The customs duty and taxes are calculated to the cent from the 2026 Sri Lanka Customs Tariff for the CIF value you enter. Freight, insurance and local clearing charges are editable estimates — replace the defaults with your actual quotes for a precise total.
Do I pay duty on shipping and insurance too?▾
Yes. Because Sri Lanka Customs assess duty on the CIF value (which includes freight and insurance) and add a 10% notional value addition to the SSCL/VAT base, your shipping and insurance costs raise the total duty — one reason the landed cost is often well above the sticker price.