Six Tariff Calculators Browser-Tested: Observable Access, Not Accuracy
We browser-tested six public tariff-calculator interfaces on August 24, 2026 with one locked U.S. import scenario. This was an access and evidence-availability check, not an accuracy benchmark. SkuWatch returned an inspectable estimate; the other five observed sessions stopped at a technical error, category-and-email flow, login wall, HTS rejection, or API-key requirement.
Those endpoint states are not comparable customs results. This article therefore publishes no composite scores and names no accuracy winner. A gated or failed session says nothing about the correctness of a result the tool did not display. SkuWatch operates the one calculator that completed the observed scenario, so its output also cannot serve as the independent benchmark.
Observed states at a glance
| Calculator | Public-browser state observed on August 24, 2026 | Accuracy determined? |
|---|---|---|
| SkuWatch tariff calculator | Accepted the locked scenario and displayed an estimate and calculation boundaries | No. Displayed arithmetic reconciled, but classification and tariff-layer correctness were not independently adjudicated |
| Flexport Tariff Simulator | Accepted several fields, then showed a technical authorization error | No. No numeric result was available |
| Easyship import duty calculator | Accepted a broad product category and then required email to reveal a result | No. No exact-HTS, numeric result was visible |
| DHL MyGTS | Required login before calculator inputs | No. The scenario could not be entered publicly |
| Freightos import duty calculator | Rejected the supplied exact HTS code at product matching | No. Substituting a code would change the scenario |
| SimplyDuty import duty calculator | Accepted most fields but required an API key before calculation | No. No numeric result was visible |
Locked scenario
| Field | Supplied value |
|---|---|
| HTS code | 4202219000 / 4202.21.90.00 |
| Product value qualifier | Valued over USD 20 each |
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Destination | United States |
| Transport mode | Ocean, when available |
| Quantity | 100 |
| Unit value | USD 50 each |
| Entered merchandise value | USD 5,000 |
| Freight and insurance | USD 0, when available |
| Entry date | 2026-08-24 |
| Formal-entry fees | Included when exposed |
The classification was supplied only to keep the interfaces comparable. This session did not establish that it is correct for any reader’s merchandise.
What each screenshot establishes
SkuWatch: inspectable estimate
SkuWatch displayed $5,539.83 landed cost, including $539.83 duties and fees, and a 10.797% effective rate. The arithmetic reconciles: 5,000 + 539.83 = 5,539.83, and 539.83 ÷ 5,000 rounds to 10.797%. That is an arithmetic check only. It does not prove the legal correctness of the classification, origin, or represented tariff layers, and the captured result labels unresolved/default conditions.
Flexport: technical error
The populated result panel displayed a technical authorization error. This may have been transient; it is not a durable product judgment and supplied no result to compare.
Easyship: category and email gate
The public flow accepted route, value, and “Bags & Luggages,” then requested email before displaying a result. The broad category is not proof that the supplied exact HTS code would be used. No personal information was submitted.
DHL MyGTS: login gate
The public route offered login and sign-up before shipment inputs. No account was created or used, so the scenario and the tool’s calculation behavior were not observed.
Freightos: exact HTS rejected
The first step returned no product match for 4202.21.90.00. We did not substitute a neighboring classification because that would invalidate the locked scenario.
SimplyDuty: API-key gate
The interface accepted most shipment fields, but browser validation identified the API key as required before calculation. No account or key was used, and no result appeared.
What a real accuracy comparison still requires
Each tool would need to accept the same confirmed classification and shipment facts, disclose its included and excluded layers, and return inspectable line items. A reviewer would then compare each result with an independently assembled, date-specific packet from the USITC HTS, applicable agency actions, and relevant CBP duty-rate guidance. Use the separate calculator comparison method for that protocol.
Freshness boundary
These screenshots are point-in-time observations from August 24, 2026. Interfaces, access states, tariff schedules, fees, and measures can change. Re-run access checks and rebuild the official-source packet for a later entry date.
Coverage boundary
This single scenario does not validate classification, origin, quotas, AD/CVD scope, every trade program, or every landed-cost component. It is not customs or legal advice.