Fee guide
MPF changes on October 1, 2026
The rate holds at 0.3464 percent. The floor and the ceiling both move, so the smallest and the largest entries are the only ones that pay more.
Written by Borderless CHB. A licensed broker (Joy Xue, CBP filer code NQR) confirms classification before any entry is filed. Updated
The short version: CBP adjusts its user fees for inflation every fiscal year, and the FY2027 amounts take effectOctober 1, 2026. The merchandise processing fee rate on a formal entry stays at 0.3464 percent of entered value. The per-entry minimum rises from $33.58 to $34.58, and the per-entry maximum rises from $651.50 to $670.86. CBP published the figures on July 31, 2026 as CBP Dec. 26-14.
In CBP's own words: "Only the limitation is increasing; the ad valorem rate of 0.3464 percent remains the same."
Before and after
| Fee | Through Sep 30, 2026 | From Oct 1, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MPF ad valorem rate (formal entries) | 0.3464% | 0.3464% | No change |
| MPF minimum per entry | $33.58 | $34.58 | +$1.00 |
| MPF maximum per entry | $651.50 | $670.86 | +$19.36 |
| Informal entry, automated | $2.69 | $2.77 | +$0.08 |
| Informal entry, manual | $8.06 | $8.30 | +$0.24 |
| Informal entry, manual prepared by CBP | $12.09 | $12.45 | +$0.36 |
| Dutiable mail fee | $7.39 | $7.61 | +$0.22 |
| Express consignment, per waybill | $1.34 | $1.38 | +$0.04 |
| Annual customs broker permit fee | $185.38 | $190.88 | +$5.50 |
Where the limits bite
MPF is a percentage only in the middle of the range. Divide each limit by the rate and you get the entered value where it takes over:
- $34.58 ÷ 0.003464 = $9,982.68. Below that entered value the minimum binds and you pay $34.58 flat.
- $670.86 ÷ 0.003464 = $193,666.28. Above that entered value the maximum binds and you pay $670.86 flat.
Both breakpoints move up. Under the FY2026 amounts the percentage applied between $9,694 and $188,077. From October 1 it applies between roughly $9,983 and $193,666. An entry between $9,983 and $188,077 pays exactly what it paid in September. The two narrow bands at either end pay part of the increase, because the breakpoint itself moved: below $9,694 the new floor costs a full $1.00 more, and above $193,666 the new ceiling costs a full $19.36 more.
Two worked examples
A $10,000 entry. 0.3464 percent of $10,000 is $34.64. That clears the new $34.58 floor, so the fee is $34.64, exactly what it is today. Drop the same shipment to $9,000 and the fee becomes the minimum: $34.58 from October 1, up from $33.58.
A $250,000 entry. 0.3464 percent of $250,000 is $866.00, well past the ceiling, so MPF is capped. That cap is $651.50 through September 30 and $670.86 from October 1. The entry costs $19.36 more in MPF, and that is the largest increase any single entry can see.
HMF does not change
The harbor maintenance fee is a separate charge and it is not part of this adjustment. It stays at 0.125 percent of cargo value, it applies only to ocean cargo, and there is no cap on it, however large the shipment (19 CFR 24.24 sets no per-entry maximum). That last point matters on large shipments: on the $250,000 ocean entry above, HMF is $312.50, and unlike MPF it keeps rising with cargo value. Air and truck shipments pay no HMF at all.
What we changed on our side
Our free tariff simulator carries both sets of amounts and picks by entry date, so a September entry date quotes the $33.58 and $651.50 limits and an October entry date quotes $34.58 and $670.86. The duty-rate pages under/hts use the same figures. If you are quoting a landed cost for cargo that arrives in the first week of October, use the October numbers.
Common questions
Is the merchandise processing fee rate going up on October 1, 2026?
No. The ad valorem rate stays at 0.3464 percent of entered value. CBP's notice says only the limitation is increasing. What changes is the floor, from $33.58 to $34.58, and the ceiling, from $651.50 to $670.86.
Which entries actually pay more MPF after October 1, 2026?
Only entries at the extremes. A formal entry under about $9,694 in entered value pays the minimum and costs a full $1.00 more. A formal entry over about $193,666 pays the maximum and costs a full $19.36 more. Between about $9,983 and $188,077 the unchanged 0.3464 percent rate applies and the fee is identical to today. The two narrow bands either side of those figures pay part of the increase, because the breakpoints moved too.
Does the October 1, 2026 adjustment change informal entry fees?
Yes. The flat MPF on an informal entry rises from $2.69 to $2.77 when the entry is automated, from $8.06 to $8.30 when it is manual, and from $12.09 to $12.45 when CBP prepares it manually. The annual customs broker permit user fee also rises, from $185.38 to $190.88, but that is a fee the broker pays, not a charge on your entry.
Sources
- CBP, "Customs User Fees To Be Adjusted for Inflation in Fiscal Year 2027," CBP Dec. 26-14, 91 FR 48398 (July 31, 2026), effective October 1, 2026.Federal Register
- CBP, "Customs User Fees To Be Adjusted for Inflation in Fiscal Year 2026," CBP Dec. 25-10, 90 FR 34665 (July 23, 2025), the amounts in force through September 30, 2026.Federal Register
- 19 CFR 24.24, harbor maintenance fee: 0.125 percent of value on commercial cargo loaded or unloaded from a commercial vessel.eCFR text
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