Insights & field notes
Articles on international trade & sourcing
Practical, field-tested writing on global sourcing, supplier verification, commodity export, OEM/ODM, and private label development.
Importation
Landed Cost: The Only Number That Tells You If a Deal Makes Money
The complete landed cost formula, line by line — product cost, export handling, freight, insurance, duty, VAT, port and clearing charges, demurrage risk, FX movement, finance cost and contingency — with a worked example and why CIF is not your landed cost.
Aisha Usman · March 22, 2026 · 9 min read