The planning formula
Keep cash requirement separate. Recoverable import VAT may be excluded from economic cost while remaining material to working capital.
Normalize before calculating
- Same product specification, grade, finish, dimensions, and tolerances
- Same quantity and unit of measure
- Same packaging and loading pattern
- Explicit Incoterm and named place
- Same final delivery point and unloading assumption
- Current classification and origin assumptions
Common omissions
Destination charges
Terminal handling, documentation, storage, demurrage, inspection, and appointment costs may sit outside a supplier's freight figure.
Container utilization
Heavy, long, fragile, or irregular materials can make cost per unit depend more on packaging and loading than headline freight.
Compliance rework
Testing, relabeling, missing declarations, or rejected documentation can erase a factory-price advantage.
Schedule cost
A cheaper route can still be the worse commercial result when it causes stockouts or project delay.
Use the model
Start with the free construction-material landed-cost calculator. If one inbound order contains unlike HVAC lines, first use the mixed HVAC shipment freight cost allocation worksheet to assign freight, handling, and direct charges by their real driver before entering the reconciled shipment totals. For low-density board cargo where loaded pack volume can constrain the route before payload, use the insulation boards Turkey-to-Germany FTL/LTL freight checklist to compare accepted-pack economics on one scope. For a supplier or origin decision, see the construction-material landed-cost analysis for Europe and the rebar Turkey vs China Germany landed-cost example.
Primary sources
Official sources used to frame the guidance. Check the current product and transaction before acting.
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