Flexport Tariff Tool Alternative: Simulator, Calculator, HTS

I'm Chen Cui, co-founder of GingerControl. I built the duty stack in our Tariff Calculator, which sits in GingerLite, our app for customs brokers and small businesses, so weigh my scores with that in mind. Every Flexport fact here comes from Flexport's own pages and announcements, read October 10, 2026; we did not run lookups on Flexport's tool. The free USITC HTS search sits in the comparison as the government baseline.

Most of this post follows an importer re-pricing about 900 SKUs. It also answers a second reader: a five-person customs brokerage filing about 250 entries a month, which quoted clients from Flexport's simulator until Flexport cut off competitor brokerages in December 2025. Its questions have their own sections: lost access, tariff stacking, entry dates and accuracy.

What is the Flexport tariff simulator, and what is the best alternative?

The Flexport tariff simulator is Flexport's free import duty calculator, and it "can handle one calculation at a time" ^[1]; for a U.S. importer with about 900 SKUs and no Flexport login, the best alternative is GingerControl's Tariff Calculator with the Classification Researcher, where one run prices an HTS code across 200+ origins with every duty line apart.

How we scored: These are GingerControl's editorial scores, October 2026, not sourced data, and each platform carries the same overall score in every post we publish. U.S. duty layer detail asks whether each Chapter 99 line, MPF and HMF show apart (our Tariff Calculator). Entry-date accuracy asks whether the rates in force on the entry date apply, through cutovers. Origin comparison asks whether several origins sit side by side for one code. Code help asks what support you get without a sure 10-digit code (our Classification Researcher). The line-by-line comparison sets our October 6, 2026 production run beside what Flexport's own pages, changelog and worked examples state, read October 10, 2026. We left out dimensions where GingerControl is not the stronger tool, such as automatic FTA rates, AD/CVD flags and PGA requirements, and the sections below say where Flexport wins on them.

Bottom line: For an importer re-pricing about 900 SKUs from four origins without a Flexport login, GingerControl's Tariff Calculator turns 3,600 one-at-a-time lookups into 900 runs, one per HTS code, and the Parts Library keeps each pick with its date. For a five-person brokerage quoting clients, it puts every origin and each Chapter 99 line by entry date on one screen, with no dependence on a competing brokerage's access policy. Flexport's free simulator stays the quicker choice for a handful of spot checks, and Tariff Simulator Pro is the natural pick for importers who already move freight and clear customs with Flexport.

This is not a ranking of every import duty calculator: see Best Import Duty Calculators for U.S. Importers.

What are Flexport's tariff tools, and which one does what?

Flexport offers an importer four tariff tools, the free Tariff Simulator, Tariff Simulator Pro, an HTS search with AI Classification, and a Tariff Refund Calculator, and each one's use case ends at a different point when you have no Flexport account. The searches "flexport tariff simulator", "flexport tariff calculator" and "flexport duty calculator" all refer to the same free tool, which Flexport's FAQ calls "a completely free import duty calculator" ^[1].

Whether a "tariff simulator" and a "tariff calculator" are different kinds of tool is a separate question, answered in Tariff Simulator vs Tariff Calculator. Here we only say which Flexport tool is which, each described from Flexport's own pages ^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}:

One branded search needs a one-line answer: "flexport tax calculator". Flexport's FAQ says its rates do not include "any informal fees, IRS taxes, or any other miscellaneous fees collected at import" ^[1], and GingerControl's Tariff Calculator does not work out sales tax or VAT either. Both price U.S. import duty plus MPF and HMF.

Flexport vs GingerControl tariff calculator: what does each return for the same shipment?

On one $25,000 ocean entry of HTS 6402.99.9005 athletic shoes, entered October 6, 2026, GingerControl's Tariff Calculator returned China and Mexico in one comparison: China at $10,000 in duty (a 20% base rate plus two Section 301 lines) and $117.85 in fees ^[6]. Flexport's own pages say its Tariff Simulator breaks a result down by tariff type, one calculation at a time in the free tool, with MPF and HMF listed apart and free trade agreements applied automatically ^{[1] [7] [2]}.

Follow U.S. import tariff calculation steps to establish the product code and origin before adding the duty layers.

The GingerControl column is our production run; the Flexport column is what Flexport's pages and worked examples say its tool shows for this kind of entry, because its pages carry no result for this code.

Sources: our run ^[6]; Flexport's FAQ, main-site page, tool page, About page, changelog and worked examples ^{[1] [2] [7] [8] [9]}; MPF and HMF rates ^{[10] [11]}.

Two lines sit outside that table, and on both Flexport goes further. On free trade agreements, Flexport says the simulator applies them automatically when eligible and shows "Preferential Rate: 0%" with the Special Program Indicator, such as "S" for USMCA ^[1]. Our run showed USMCA duty-free in a Special Rate panel on the Mexico card, but the total kept the 20% general rate, because whether goods qualify depends on rules-of-origin records the calculator does not check. On AD/CVD, Flexport flags HTS codes that may face antidumping or countervailing duties ^[1]; our Tariff Calculator does not compute or flag AD/CVD, and neither tool calculates the rate.

Check the AD/CVD Duties Guide separately from the ordinary HTS duty calculation.

Can Flexport compare China, Vietnam, Mexico and India for one product?

Not side by side in the free tool: Flexport's FAQ says to calculate the first origin, switch the origin dropdown and recalculate, and its main-site page lists side-by-side country comparison among the Pro features ^{[1] [2]}. The tool's About page does describe "a side-by-side rate comparison for alternative sourcing countries" ^[8], so Flexport's pages differ here too. For four origins in the free tool, plan on four runs per product.

Our Tariff Calculator returns one card per origin in a single run, cheapest first. On the shoe run above, the two Section 301 lines are the whole $5,000 gap between the China and Mexico totals on the same $25,000:

• Base duty at 20%
• Section 301 lines
• MPF and HMF

China$10,117.85

Mexico$5,117.85

Source: GingerControl Tariff Calculator, production run of October 6, 2026; headings 9903.88.15 (USITC HTS) and 9903.05.31 (CBP CSMS #69326983)

See the data

Origin	Base duty at 20%	Section 301 lines	MPF and HMF	Total
China	$5,000	$5,000	$117.85	$10,117.85
Mexico	$5,000	$0	$117.85	$5,117.85

If the Mexican pairs qualify under USMCA and enter free, CBP's heading 9903.05.94 keeps the forced-labor duty off them as well ^[12]. If they do not qualify, 9903.05.55 applies on top of the general rate: another 10%, or $2,500 on this shipment ^[12]. Under the USTR forced-labor notice, India sits in the 10% group and China in the 12.5% group ^[13]. Add Vietnam and India to the same run and each gets its own card, cheapest first.

When a part has more than one defensible HTS code, the Parts Library prices every candidate from every source country in one matrix and marks the lowest landed cost. Whether moving production actually lowers the bill is its own decision, worked through in Does Moving Your Sourcing Actually Cut Your Tariff Bill?

Is the Flexport tariff simulator free, and what needs a Flexport login?

The core Flexport Tariff Simulator is free, but on October 10, 2026 its live meter allowed five free searches before asking visitors to sign up, and bulk upload, side-by-side country comparison, PGA requirements and duty-change alerts sit in Tariff Simulator Pro, which a Flexport Client App sign-in unlocks ^{[7] [2]}.

Flexport's own pages state the free limit three ways, so quote the one you saw, with its date:

The page's own script counts distinct HTS codes, so searching a code again does not use up another search ^[7]. For a 900-SKU catalog, the free meter still covers five codes before the sign-up prompt. Flexport's pages do not say whether that sign-up is the same thing as a Flexport Client App account.

Tariff Simulator Pro launched on October 14, 2025, with Flexport's Customs Technology Suite ^[14]. Its page says "Sign in with a Flexport Client App account to unlock Tariff Simulator Pro", with "no separate signup needed" ^[2]. None of the pages we read publishes a price for Pro or says whether the login requires a paid freight relationship.

GingerControl's tools are not free either, and I would rather say so up front. The GingerLite app is $150 a month for 300 credits, with top-ups if you run out, and every classification and every Tariff Calculator run uses credits. What is free on our side: the five customs calculators, such as the MPF and HMF calculator, and the Policy Briefings, one email when a U.S. trade rule changes.

For a small brokerage, cost comes down to access: per Flexport's CEO, competitor customs brokerages lost access to the free tool in December 2025 ^[15], and the next section covers what they use instead.

Flexport cut off broker access: what are brokers using now?

A brokerage cut off from Flexport's Tariff Simulator has two kinds of options: a calculator sold to brokers, such as GingerControl's Tariff Calculator, or the free USITC HTS search with the layers added by hand. The cutoff came on December 9, 2025, when Flexport's founder and CEO Ryan Petersen posted that Flexport had removed access from 282 competitor customs brokerages, more than 700 users in total, while the tool stays free for importers, exporters and employees of CBP and other government agencies ^[15].

Flexport's official account quoted that post the same day: "Starting today, we're limiting access to ensure the brands and businesses we serve continue to get the most value from it," adding that "the calculator remains free for all brands and customers" ^[16]. On October 10, 2026 the restriction was not described on the Tariff Simulator's own FAQ, About page or changelog ^{[1] [8] [9]}.

Sources: ^[17].

One U.S. customs broker's path is on the record. Jet Import Brokers started with GingerLite's Tariff Calculator, and the system GingerControl later built for Jet's team now checks every product of every client at each policy update in about 30 minutes, down from at least one to two days per client; Jet found GingerControl by asking ChatGPT ^[18].

Does the Flexport tariff simulator have bulk upload or an API?

Bulk upload exists only in Tariff Simulator Pro, behind a login, at under 5,000 rows and 5MB per file with an origin on every row, and Flexport's public API reference had no tariff or duty-calculation endpoint when we read it on October 10, 2026 ^{[19] [5]}.

The free tool's script answers a logged-out bulk upload with "Authentication required. Please log in to use bulk upload." ^[7] On the API side, Flexport's reference covers shipments, bookings, purchase orders, commercial invoices, customs entries and similar operations. The only HS tool in it is a six-digit HS code search for bookings, and its MCP connection is for active Flexport users once an administrator enables it ^[5].

What does it take to re-price 900 SKUs from four origins?

Re-pricing 900 SKUs from China, Vietnam, Mexico and India takes 3,600 calculations in Flexport's free simulator, one 3,600-row upload in Tariff Simulator Pro, 900 runs in GingerControl's Tariff Calculator or 30 calls to our API, before any rule change forces a redo. The counts drop where SKUs share an HTS code.

Pro does this job in one file, and for an importer who already holds a Flexport Client App login that is the simplest answer. Without the login, this is the path I would take with our tools:

1. Collect the distinct HTS codes and origins. Many SKUs share a code, and the code drives the duty.
2. Research the codes you are unsure of first. A wrong HTS code gives a wrong duty in any calculator; the Classification Researcher takes 3 to 5 minutes per product, report included.
3. Price each code across your four origins in the Tariff Calculator, for the entry date you are planning around.
4. Load the parts into the Parts Library, up to 100 rows per Excel or CSV upload, compare each part's candidate codes by country, and save the pick.
5. Turn on Compliance Radar, which emails you when a new Presidential Proclamation, Executive Order, Federal Register notice or HTS revision touches your saved codes, with what to redo by the effective date.

For a manufacturer with tens of thousands of parts tied to an ERP, classifying in batches and rechecking every SKU a change touches is GingerOS work, which starts with a Prototype Week: one call, a clickable prototype of your own flow in three days, then a quote.

Landed cost for a whole catalog, freight included, is covered in How Do You Calculate Landed Cost for a Whole Catalog at Once?; this post stays on duty and on Flexport's tools.

How does each calculator handle tariff stacking on one HTS code?

Both show the stack as separate lines rather than one blended rate: Flexport says "every result breaks the duty down by tariff type, so you can see exactly what's driving the number, not just the total" ^[2], and GingerControl's Tariff Calculator lists each Chapter 99 heading with its rate and dollar amount for every origin you pick. How tariff stacking works in general is explained in how tariff stacking works; this section only checks whether each calculator shows the stack.

On our China run, the two Section 301 lines doubled the $5,000 base duty. The China list line is HTS heading 9903.88.15, List 4A at 7.5%, which covers subheading 6402.99.90 through U.S. note 20(s) to Chapter 99 ^[20], and the forced-labor line is 9903.05.31 at 12.5%, owed on products of China entered from July 24, 2026 and stacked on any other Chapter 99 duty ^{[13] [12]}. Flexport's own July 24, 2026 example, Brazilian beer by air, shows the same pattern from another country: 9903.05.01 Section 301 Brazil at 25% (a separate action in force from July 22, 2026 ^[21]) and 9903.05.27 forced-labor Section 301 at 12.5%, $1,250, as two lines, for an effective duty rate of 37.5% ^[9].

Quotable insight: A duty total hides three kinds of line that a client or a CFO will ask about: the conditional line, the dated line and the line neither tool computes. On our October 6, 2026 shoe run, China's forced-labor line, owed only on entries from July 24, 2026, was $3,125 of its $10,000 duty; Mexico's 10% line waited under potential duties on a USMCA claim; AD/CVD, which neither tool computes, stayed out of the number. An estimate that names all three holds up.

Do the tariffs look right on an aluminum import from China?

For a China aluminum article entered in October 2026, a correct stack shows the base rate, a Section 232 line at 50% on the full customs value for Annex I-A articles, a China Section 301 list line if the code is on a list, and no forced-labor Section 301 line, because 9903.05.90 exempts Section 232 aluminum articles from it ^{[22] [12]}.

Both calculators ask for the metal content. Flexport's About page says its Section 232 calculation factors in "the declared percentage of steel or aluminium content" ^[8]. GingerControl's Tariff Calculator detects Section 232 for Chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 from metal content and pour country, and for a Section 232 metal article the form adds a Material content box ^[6]. Whichever tool you use, check that the 232 line runs on the full value: Flexport's FAQ still describes Section 232 as "50% for most steel and aluminum products from most countries, effective June 4, 2025" ^[1], and the full-value rule took effect on April 6, 2026 ^[22].

Use what-if duty calculation across product specifications when composition or configuration changes along with the sourcing origin.

Sources: ^{[22] [23] [12]}.

Which calculator shows Section 122 and the July 24, 2026 changes by entry date?

Both are dated by entry date: Flexport's worked examples show Section 122 (9903.03.01, 10%) on a July 23, 2026 entry and drop it on July 24 next to the new forced-labor Section 301 ^[9], and GingerControl's Tariff Calculator puts the Section 122 line only on goods entered from February 24 to July 23, 2026, when the surcharge applied, and the forced-labor 301 on goods entered from July 24, asking for the loading date as well ^[6].

Six dates in 2026 changed what an entry of the same HTS code owes, and the in-transit window needs the loading date as well as the entry date ^{[24] [25] [26] [13] [10]}:

1. Feb 20, 2026Supreme Court ruled IEEPA does not authorize tariffsLearning Resources v. Trump
2. Feb 24, 2026IEEPA duty ended, Section 122 beganA 10% Section 122 surcharge applied instead
3. Jul 23, 2026Last Section 122 entry dayThe surcharge ran through 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 24
4. Jul 24, 2026Forced-labor Section 301 began10% or 12.5% on goods of 60 economies, or a top-up for five
5. Jul 28, 2026In-transit window closedGoods loaded and in transit before July 24, entered before July 28, were not subject
6. Oct 1, 2026New MPF limits took effect$34.58 minimum and $670.86 maximum per formal entry

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, Learning Resources v. Trump (February 20, 2026); CBP CSMS #67834313 (February 22, 2026); 91 FR 9339 (February 25, 2026); 91 FR 47318 (July 28, 2026); CBP Dec. 26-14 (91 FR 48398, July 31, 2026)

Flexport's simulator handles these dates well: it prices by entry date and date of loading, keeps rates back to January 1, 2025, and its bulk upload accepts future dates ^{[1] [19]}. For what a given entry date will pick up, read its changelog date rather than its FAQ. The changelog entry dated February 21, 2026 reads "Implemented the Section 122 Temporary Import Surcharge & disabled IEEPA tariffs (per CSMS #67834313) (both changes effective Feb 24, 2026)", and one dated July 25, 2026 rolled out the forced-labor Section 301 "effective July 24, 2026"; the latest entry on October 10, 2026 was dated September 22, 2026 ^[9]. The FAQ on the same day still said the tool "includes ... IEEPA sanctions" ^[1]. The forced-labor duty itself is explained in Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs.

How do you keep a dated record of each estimate?

Keep each estimate as a record with six fields: the HTS code, the origin, the entry date and date of loading, each duty line with its Chapter 99 heading, MPF and HMF, and the day you ran it. The entry date is the field 2026 made essential, for the reasons in the timeline above.

In GingerControl, the Parts Library's Selection History saves each pick with its date, the configuration you ran and the cost breakdown it showed, and opening an entry shows that saved selection as it was. Importers keep records for five years under 19 CFR 163.4 ^[27], so a dated estimate filed next to the entry it planned is a sensible habit, whatever tool produced it.

Is the Flexport tariff simulator accurate?

Flexport's Tariff Simulator is an estimating tool, not a filing tool: its disclaimer says the tool "does not constitute legal, tax, customs, or professional advice of any kind, and Flexport is not acting as your Customs Broker, attorney, or advisor" ^[1], and the same holds for GingerControl's Tariff Calculator, whose number is for planning and quoting, while the broker files the entry and CBP sets the final duty at liquidation.

Flexport's FAQ lists what its tool leaves out, in its own words ^[1]:

• AD/CVD is flagged, not calculated: final applicability "depends on the specific product scope defined in Commerce Department orders, not just the HTS classification."
• "GSP is currently expired, and the SPI field does not support GSP claims."
• "FTZ toggles and data elements regarding privileged dates are also not included currently."
• "Not all Chapter 98 or 99 programs are supported at this time."
• "Watches, clocks, and GRI 1 sets/ensembles are not yet supported."
• Column 2 countries (Russia, Belarus, Cuba and North Korea) are not supported.

Our Tariff Calculator has its own limits, worth knowing before you quote: no AD/CVD computation, an FTA special rate shown in a panel but not taken off the total, one HTS code at a time, and U.S. imports only ^[6].

Why can a client's number differ from the calculator?

When a client, or your CFO, asks why an estimate does not match the entry, the cause is usually a date, a condition or a line one tool leaves out:

Sources: ^{[26] [13] [12] [23] [22] [1] [10] [11] [7] [9]}.

What is Flexport HTS, and where does its classification stop?

"Flexport HTS" covers two tools: the plain-English HTS search and HS code catalog inside the free simulator, and AI Classification, which asks guided questions, links CBP rulings and suggests a code with its reasoning, under a monthly free quota ^{[1] [3]}.

The simulator's search "scans the official HTS language and descriptions stored in the catalog", and Flexport advises using "technical terms that appear in the official HTS descriptions" ^[1]. AI Classification, which Flexport featured in its Fall 2026 technology release broadcast on September 29, 2026, is pitched as "Describe a product and get an HTS code recommendation in seconds, with full reasoning shown" ^[3]. Three limits sit in its own page code: a monthly cap on free classifications (the number comes from Flexport's server, not the page), an account-approval message that sends some users to their Flexport representative, and a box users tick: "I certify that I will not use the output of this tool as the sole basis for classifying any merchandise on a U.S. customs entry." ^[3]

If you move your customs brokerage to Flexport, its brokers offer classification as a service: "Flexport Customs can classify up to 500 new SKUs in three days; up to 2,000 in a week or 20,000 in a month" ^[28]. For a 900-SKU importer that is changing brokers anyway, that is a real option.

GingerControl's Classification Researcher works the other way round from a search box: it treats your first description as incomplete. It applies GRI 1 to 6, detects when a composite product needs the GRI 3(b) essential-character test and records which component gives the product its essential character, reads CROSS rulings during the classification rather than after, and works down the code in stages of 4, 6, 8 and 10 digits. When a fact your spec sheet leaves out decides the code, Ginger asks; we put it as "Ginger doesn't guess. It asks." One classification with its full reasoning report takes 3 to 5 minutes. It covers U.S. 10-digit HTS codes, 10-digit Canadian classification numbers and, in beta, 8-digit EU CN codes. In the GingerLite app each product is its own case; batch classification and BOM upload are GingerOS features.

GingerControl's Classification Researcher follows the reasoning a licensed customs broker uses: GRI analysis, Section and Chapter Note review, and CROSS ruling research. Its classifications are for general reference, educational, and planning purposes; before a code goes on an entry, your licensed customs broker reviews it. GingerControl is not a customs broker, does not file entries, and does not give legal advice.

How does the Flexport tariff refund calculator work?

Flexport's free Tariff Refund Calculator lets an importer of record upload ACE entry data to estimate a potential IEEPA refund before engaging any advisory work, and behind it Flexport offers two more routes: it audits and files the refund application, or it buys the refund claim and pays you directly ^[4].

The refunds exist because the Supreme Court held on February 20, 2026, in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, that IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs ^[24]. CBP stopped collecting IEEPA duty on goods entered from February 24, 2026 ^[25], and launched CAPE, its refund process in ACE, on April 20, 2026. CBP says valid refunds generally arrive 60 to 90 days after a CAPE Declaration is accepted ^[29].

Flexport says its calculator is free and "takes less than 5 minutes" ^[4]. Its filing route runs as a Trade Advisory project that needs ACE cross-account access, with its analysis inside "the project scope covered by the initial project fee", and its claim-purchase offer promises "Payment as fast as two weeks" ^[4]. GingerControl does not buy refund claims, so if you want cash before CBP pays, Flexport's offer is the one to compare.

On our side, the free IEEPA refund estimator gives a first estimate of the IEEPA duty you paid from the origin, the value and the entry period, and shows whether CAPE takes entries like yours; exact amounts come from your ACE data. The IEEPA refund service sorts each entry by refund route and deadline and prepares the refund file, which our licensed refund partner files; it is quoted for your scope, and CBP sets the amount.

What does each platform do well, and where does it stop?

Flexport's tools are strongest at quick lookups, trade-agreement rates and workflows inside a Flexport account; GingerControl is strongest at pricing many origins per code with the code's reasoning and a dated record; the USITC search is the legal text itself.

Flexport's tariff tools

• What it is: a U.S. import duty simulator with a Pro edition, AI Classification and IEEPA refund tools, from a freight forwarder and licensed U.S. customs brokerage; its FAQ covers 190+ countries, Column 2 excluded ^[1].
• Price: the core simulator is free, with a few free searches before sign-up; Pro comes with a Flexport Client App sign-in and has no public price; the refund estimate is free, and filing is a project with an initial fee.
• What it does well: preferential rates applied automatically with the SPI, AD/CVD flags, a plain-English HTS search, a Trade Map of top trading partners, average duty rates and trade agreements, rates by entry date back to January 1, 2025, a public changelog and 213 worked examples ^{[1] [2] [9]}.
• Where its use case ends: competitor customs brokerages lost access on December 9, 2025, per its CEO ^[15]; one calculation at a time in the free tool; watches, clocks, GRI 1 sets, GSP claims and FTZ data are not supported ^[1]; there is no duty API to call.
• Best for: importers and exporters pricing their own goods, Flexport freight and customs customers, and anyone running a few quick lookups.

GingerControl

• What it is: the GingerLite app for customs brokers and small businesses, the Classification + Tariff Calculation API for enterprise systems, and GingerOS for import- and export-heavy manufacturers.
• Price: GingerLite app, $150 a month for 300 credits, with top-ups if you run out; GingerOS, quoted per project after the Prototype Week; the API, for enterprise customers after a call.
• What it does well: one HTS code across 200+ origins per run, with the base rate, each Chapter 99 line, MPF and HMF on separate rows, as the line-by-line table above shows; duty part by part for Chapter 91 watches; codes researched with their GRI reasoning before they are priced; a dated Selection History.
• Where its use case ends: U.S. import duty only; no AD/CVD computation; special rates shown, not applied, with no rules-of-origin check; no PGA requirements; no sales tax or VAT; no freight, brokerage or entry filing.
• Best for: importers who price many origins per code and want a dated record behind each number, and brokers who explain each line to a client before the entry is filed.

USITC HTS search

• What it is: the official search of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
• Price: free.
• What it does well: the legal text itself, with each line's general, special and Column 2 rates and the Chapter 99 headings ^[17].
• Where its use case ends: its interface has no country-of-origin input and no duty total ^[17].
• Best for: reading what a heading actually says before you trust any calculator.

By the numbers: U.S. duty and Flexport's tools, October 2026

Eight numbers frame the choice in October 2026, from what CBP assessed to what each Flexport page allows for free:

Which tool fits which situation?

Flexport fits importers who already use Flexport or need only a few lookups, and GingerControl fits importers who price many origins per code without a Flexport account and brokerages that lost Flexport access; the table splits it by situation.

The bottom line, by who you are:

• Flexport freight or customs customers: stay with Flexport's tools. Your Client App login unlocks Pro, so bulk upload and alerts come with the account you already use.
• Importers running a few lookups a month: Flexport's free simulator is the quickest start, as long as the free meter covers your codes.
• Importers re-pricing hundreds of SKUs across origins without a Flexport account: GingerControl's Tariff Calculator for the duty by origin and entry date, the Parts Library for the matrix and the dated pick, and the Classification Researcher for any code you are not sure of.
• Customs brokerages that lost Flexport access: GingerControl's Tariff Calculator, sold to brokers, with every Chapter 99 line by entry date for each client quote.

Putting your next 900-SKU re-price on a dated record

If your next job is re-pricing 900 SKUs across China, Vietnam, Mexico and India for the CFO, the slow part is not the arithmetic. It is running one origin at a time and keeping nothing behind each number. GingerControl's Tariff Calculator takes one HTS code, the value and the entry date and returns the duty for each origin you pick, line by line, cheapest first; for a brokerage, the same run puts each Chapter 99 line into a client quote before the entry is filed. Price one HTS code across all four of your origins

For parts with more than one candidate code, the Parts Library adds the matrix and the dated pick: compare every code and country for a part in one matrix.

Use a tariff comparison matrix to hold products on the rows and candidate origins on the columns.

References

1. Flexport, Tariff Simulator FAQ
   Data cited: "a completely free import duty calculator ... without any registration, subscription fees, or usage limits"; "can handle one calculation at a time"; recalculating per origin; MFN plus Section 301, Section 232 and safeguards by entry date and date of loading, back to January 1, 2025; AD/CVD flagged, not calculated; MPF and HMF outside the duty rate; preferential rates with the SPI; search wording; 190+ countries; unsupported items (watches, clocks, GRI 1 sets, GSP, FTZ, some Chapter 98 and 99 programs, Column 2); IEEPA and June 2025 Section 232 text; excluded taxes and fees; disclaimer
   Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor page, cited by name)
2. Flexport, Tariff Simulator page on Flexport's main site
   Data cited: "every result breaks the duty down by tariff type"; "You can look up up to 10 HTS codes without an account"; Pro unlocked by a Flexport Client App sign-in, "no separate signup needed"; Pro features (bulk HTS uploads, PGA requirements and fees, side-by-side country comparisons, email alerts); no published Pro price; the Trade Map
   Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor page, cited by name)
3. Flexport, AI Classification page and Fall 2026 Technology Release
   Data cited: guided questions with CBP rulings linked and a suggested code with its reasoning; the monthly free classification limit; the account-approval message; the user certification; release broadcast September 29, 2026
   Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor pages, cited by name)
4. Flexport, Tariff Refunds page and Customs Technology Suite page
   Data cited: free refund calculator on ACE data; "takes less than 5 minutes"; full-service filing with ACE cross-account access and an initial project fee; claim purchase with "Payment as fast as two weeks"
   Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor pages, cited by name)
5. Flexport, public API reference and Flexport MCP page
   Data cited: operations for shipments, bookings, purchase orders, commercial invoices, customs entries and more, with no tariff or duty-calculation endpoint; a six-digit HS code search for bookings; MCP for active Flexport users once an administrator enables it
   Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor pages, cited by name)
6. GingerControl, Tariff Calculator production run
   Data cited: HTS 6402.99.9005, $25,000 by ocean, loaded October 1 and entered October 6, 2026; China's base duty, 9903.88.15 and 9903.05.31 lines and fees; Mexico's general-rate total, Special Rate panel and 9903.05.55 under potential duties; the loading date and Material content box in the form
   Source: GingerControl Tariff Calculator
   Published: run on October 6, 2026
7. Flexport, Tariff Simulator tool page and its free-search meter
   Data cited: "0 / 5 free searches", "Sign up for unlimited" and the limit message; the page script's counter of distinct HTS codes; login required for bulk upload; inputs; MPF and HMF listed separately; freight, insurance and customs brokerage outside the estimate
   Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor page, cited by name)
8. Flexport, Tariff Simulator About page
   Data cited: "A side-by-side rate comparison for alternative sourcing countries"; Section 232 calculated from "the declared percentage of steel or aluminium content"
   Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor page, cited by name)
9. Flexport, Tariff Simulator changelog and worked examples
   Data cited: changelog entries dated February 21, 2026 (Section 122 added, IEEPA disabled, effective February 24) and July 25, 2026 (forced-labor Section 301, effective July 24); latest entry September 22, 2026; Brazil beer by air entered July 23, 2026 (9903.03.01 at 10%, $1,000) and July 24, 2026 (9903.05.01 at 25%, 9903.05.27 at 12.5%, $1,250; 37.5% effective); 213 worked examples
   Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor pages, cited by name)
10. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP Dec. 26-14, 91 FR 48398
    Data cited: MPF of 0.3464%, unchanged, with a $34.58 minimum and $670.86 maximum for formal entries from October 1, 2026
    Source: Federal Register, July 31, 2026
    Published: July 31, 2026
11. 19 CFR 24.24, Harbor maintenance fee
    Data cited: 0.125% of the value of commercial cargo loaded on or unloaded from a commercial vessel
    Source: eCFR, 19 CFR 24.24
    Checked: October 10, 2026
12. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CSMS #69326983
    Data cited: heading 9903.05.31 (products of China, 12.5%), heading 9903.05.55 (products of Mexico, 10%), the 9903.05.94 exemption for USMCA goods of Mexico entered free, the 9903.05.90 exemption for listed Section 232 articles, and the filing order (Section 301, then Section 122, then Section 232)
    Source: CBP CSMS #69326983
    Published: July 23, 2026
13. Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Notice of Actions in Section 301 Investigations, 91 FR 47318
    Data cited: forced-labor Section 301 on 60 economies for goods entered from 12:01 a.m. ET July 24, 2026; goods loaded and in transit before July 24 and entered before July 28, 2026 not subject; 10% on 17 economies including India and Mexico; 12.5% on 38 including China; top-ups for the EU, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Switzerland; stacking with other Chapter 99 duties under U.S. note 52(a)
    Source: Federal Register, July 28, 2026
    Published: July 28, 2026
14. Flexport, Customs Technology Suite and Tariff Simulator Pro launch release
    Data cited: Tariff Simulator Pro as a premium edition of the Tariff Simulator, launched with the Customs Technology Suite
    Published: October 14, 2025, on Business Wire (competitor release, cited by name)
15. Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO of Flexport, post on X
    Data cited: Flexport "removed access to our online Tariff Simulator from 282 competitor customs brokerages"; "more than 700 users"; free for "importers and exporters as well employees of CBP and other government agencies"
    Published: December 9, 2025 (read October 10, 2026; cited by name)
16. Flexport (@flexport), post on X quoting the CEO's post
    Data cited: "Starting today, we're limiting access"; "the calculator remains free for all brands and customers"
    Published: December 9, 2025 (read October 10, 2026; cited by name)
17. U.S. International Trade Commission, Harmonized Tariff Schedule search
    Data cited: results listed by HTS number with general, special and Column 2 rates and the Chapter 99 headings; no country-of-origin input and no duty total in the interface
    Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule
    Checked: October 10, 2026
18. GingerControl, Jet Import Brokers case study
    Data cited: a U.S. customs broker that started with GingerLite's Tariff Calculator; at least one to two days per client at each policy update before, about 30 minutes for every product of every client after; found GingerControl by asking ChatGPT
    Source: Jet Import Brokers case study
    Published: October 9, 2026
19. Flexport, Tariff Simulator bulk upload documentation
    Data cited: files under 5MB and 5,000 rows; origin country required on each row; "Only one SPI can be provided per row"; dates from January 1, 2025 and future dates accepted
    Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor page, cited by name)
20. U.S. International Trade Commission, Harmonized Tariff Schedule, heading 9903.88.15 and subheading 6402.99.90
    Data cited: the List 4A Section 301 duty on products of China, plus 7.5%; subheading 6402.99.90 listed in U.S. note 20(s)(i) to subchapter III of Chapter 99, which sets the products heading 9903.88.15 covers; the 20% general rate of 6402.99.90 and its special rate, Free including S for USMCA (2026 HTS Revision 21)
    Source: USITC HTS, 6402.99.90; USITC HTS, heading 9903.88.15; USITC HTS, Chapter 99 notes
    Checked: October 10, 2026
21. Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Notice of Action: Brazil's Acts, Policies, and Practices, 91 FR 45516
    Data cited: 25% Section 301 duty on products of Brazil (9903.05.01) from July 22, 2026
    Source: Federal Register, July 20, 2026
    Published: July 20, 2026
22. The White House, Proclamation 11021, 91 FR 18201, Strengthening Actions Taken To Adjust Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper Into the United States
    Data cited: Section 232 duty on the full customs value regardless of metal content from April 6, 2026; Annex I-A 50%, Annex I-B 25%
    Source: Federal Register, April 9, 2026
    Published: April 9, 2026
23. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CSMS #68253075, Section 232 metal content guidance
    Data cited: under 15% metal by weight outside Chapters 72, 73, 74 and 76 pays 0% (9903.82.03); goods with no aluminum, steel or copper content are not subject (HTS heading 9903.82.01); smelt and cast countries reported on every subject aluminum entry
    Source: CBP CSMS #68253075
    Published: April 3, 2026
24. Supreme Court of the United States, Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, No. 24-1287
    Data cited: IEEPA does not authorize the President to impose tariffs; decided February 20, 2026, 6-3
    Source: Slip opinion, No. 24-1287
    Published: February 20, 2026
25. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CSMS #67834313
    Data cited: IEEPA duties no longer collected on goods entered on or after 12:00 a.m. eastern time on February 24, 2026
    Source: CBP CSMS #67834313
    Published: February 22, 2026
26. The White House, Proclamation 11012, 91 FR 9339
    Data cited: a 10% Section 122 surcharge on goods entered from 12:01 a.m. EST February 24, 2026 through 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 24, 2026
    Source: Federal Register, February 25, 2026
    Published: February 25, 2026
27. 19 CFR 163.4, Record retention period
    Data cited: importers keep entry records for five years
    Source: eCFR, 19 CFR 163.4
28. Flexport, Product Classification page
    Data cited: "Flexport Customs can classify up to 500 new SKUs in three days; up to 2,000 in a week or 20,000 in a month"
    Read: October 10, 2026 (competitor page, cited by name)
29. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, IEEPA Duty Refunds
    Data cited: CAPE launched April 20, 2026; valid refunds generally issued 60 to 90 days after a CAPE Declaration is accepted
    Source: CBP IEEPA Duty Refunds
    Published: page last modified September 30, 2026
30. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Trade Statistics
    Data cited: Section 122 duty of $31,060,000,000 and Section 301 duty on products of China of $21.56 billion assessed in fiscal year 2026, as of July 5, 2026
    Source: CBP Trade Statistics
    Published: page last modified October 2, 2026
31. The White House, Proclamation 11032, 91 FR 34085, Further Adjusting the Tariff Regimes for Imports of Aluminum, Steel, and Copper Into the United States
    Data cited: Annex I-C mobile industrial equipment at 25% from June 8, 2026 through December 31, 2027, a combined 15% for the EU, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Taiwan, the UK, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala
    Source: Federal Register
    Published: June 4, 2026