LandedPulseWhy does a rate come back as "not covered"?
A rate is marked not covered when it depends on a fact the query cannot carry — tariff-rate quotas, preference-dependent rates, and duties defined over a component of the goods (garment ensembles, sugar content, metal content, the case and strap of a watch). We decline rather than approximate.
A specific duty is charged per kilogram, litre or item rather than as a percentage of value, and a compound duty adds a percentage to it. For US routes these are calculated when you provide the net weight, volume or quantity; without that figure the calculation asks for it instead of guessing. Any percentage shown without the quantity would be an invention.
A tariff-rate quota applies one rate up to a volume threshold and a higher rate beyond it, so the answer depends on how much of the quota the importer has already consumed this period.
Preference-dependent rates require proof of origin under a specific trade agreement, and manufacturer- or programme-specific codes require knowing which regime the importer is claiming. None of that is inferable from an HS code and a country pair.
In each case the honest output is the refusal plus the reason. A wrong number that looks confident is more expensive than no number, because it gets quoted to a buyer and only surfaces at clearance.
Last reviewed . General guidance on import duty mechanics, not customs or tax advice for a specific shipment.