How to Read a TARIC Entry Without Guessing
Updated 2026-11
Every duty rate on this site comes from the EU's tariff database, queried through Access2Markets. The database is free and public — the difficulty is knowing which line to read. This is the five-minute version.
What a TARIC entry actually contains
A TARIC entry is not a number. It is a set of measures attached to a ten-digit goods code. The rate you want is usually in a measure called Third country duty, but three other fields change the answer.
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Third country duty | The MFN rate that applies to goods from most origins |
| Anti-dumping / countervailing | An additional duty on a specific origin, sometimes a specific exporter |
| Conditions | Documents, quotas or authorisations required to use a rate |
| Footnotes | Exclusions, definitions, and product-specific carve-outs |
Origin is a field, not a detail
The same goods code can carry a different total duty depending on origin. Two things follow:
- Always set the origin. Reading the MFN rate alone tells you what applies to a hypothetical country, not to your shipment.
- Origin is where the goods were wholly obtained or sufficiently processed — not where they were shipped from. A parcel routed through Hong Kong does not change Chinese origin.
Percentage or fixed amount?
Duty comes in two forms, and they are not interchangeable:
- Ad valorem — a percentage of the customs value, such as
6.5%. This is what a landed-cost calculator can handle. - Specific — a fixed amount per unit or per kilogram, such as
3.00 EUR / pair. You cannot convert this into a percentage without knowing the unit value, and the calculator on this site does not attempt to.
Some lines combine both: 16.9% + 0.9 EUR / pair. Read the whole formula, not the first number.
A worked read
Take a plastic phone case under 3926.90. Reading the entry left to right:
- Code: 3926 90 97 — other articles of plastics.
- Origin: CN.
- Third country duty: 6.5%.
- Additional measures: none listed for this line.
- Conditions: none.
Conclusion: 6.5% of the customs value, plus import VAT at the destination rate. That is the whole calculation.
The four things that change the answer
- Origin. Preferential agreements can reduce or eliminate the rate — but only with valid origin proof.
- The exact code. Ten digits, not six. The first six are international; the last four are EU-specific and carry the rate.
- Trade defence measures. Anti-dumping duties sit next to the MFN rate and can be many times larger.
- Date. Measures have start and end dates. A rate read in January may be gone by July.
Verification checklist
- Confirm the ten-digit code, not just the heading.
- Set origin to the actual country of manufacture.
- Read the third country duty and the anti-dumping measures.
- Check conditions and footnotes for your product variant.
- Record the date you checked — and re-check quarterly.
Where to look it up
- Open Access2Markets and choose the import assistant.
- Enter the goods code or a product description, then narrow to the ten-digit line.
- Set the origin country — the field most people skip.
- Read the duties section, then open the measures list for anti-dumping and conditions.
- Note the revision date shown in the result and record it next to the rate.
FAQ
Is TARIC free to use?
Yes. Access2Markets and the TARIC consultation are official EU services, free and public. What they do not give you is an opinion on your specific product — for that you need a customs broker or a Binding Tariff Information decision.
Why does the same product have different rates on different sites?
Usually because they are reading different lines, different origins, or data from different dates. A rate without a code, an origin and a date is not a rate — it is a rumour.
How often does TARIC change?
Measures are updated continuously and consolidated regularly. For planning purposes, assume quarterly changes and verify before quoting a long-term price.
If you would rather skip the reading, the landed cost calculator already encodes the typical line for each category, and every product page shows the range across the lines under that heading.