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Using Watch Worksheet to Reduce US Duties?

Danimals
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Hey all,

Been looking at buying a used international watch and shipping to US. I was doing some research and saw a recommendation to have the seller use a watch worksheet to help reduce total duties paid. Has anyone done this / have experience?

Without watch worksheet, 15% applied to the paid value.

With watch worksheet: flat $1.53 for the movement, 4.2% of the case, 2% of the bracelet.

For my scenario (stainless steel 1990s speedy, 3520.50), that's a cost of about $40 instead of $450, does that seem right?
 
YY77
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You don't account for the 15% tariif on Swiss goods?
 
Danimals
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I think that's my question, does 15% always apply, or does the watch worksheet allow you to break it out and apply lower rates
 
Danimals
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Per Gemini

Under U.S. HTS rules for automatic watches (9102.21), the duty on the movement is "X cents per movement" + "X% on the case" + "X% on the strap." Even though the 2026 trade deal capped the total tariff at 15%, it didn't remove the specific HTS sub-rules that make movements cheap to import. If you don't provide the breakdown, the courier is forced to treat the entire watch as one piece of "Case/Metal," which triggers the full 15% on the total price.
 
YY77
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Danimals Danimals
Per Gemini

Under U.S. HTS rules for automatic watches (9102.21), the duty on the movement is "X cents per movement" + "X% on the case" + "X% on the strap." Even though the 2026 trade deal capped the total tariff at 15%, it didn't remove the specific HTS sub-rules that make movements cheap to import. If you don't provide the breakdown, the courier is forced to treat the entire watch as one piece of "Case/Metal," which triggers the full 15% on the total price.
@Porteroso has first hand knowledge

https://omegaforums.net/posts/2558824/ Porteroso
Porteroso ·
It might be nice to have a locked thread about this and proposed changes to tariff rates. Many just want to know what to expect if they buy a Swiss watch in the US.

But as stated, there should not be any change to the Swiss origin tariff rate of 15%.

And just because it was brought up, i bought a Swiss watch a few weeks ago and was responsible for paying the tariff rate. UPS also charged a $15 "brokerage" fee. Which is different from before, when they tried to make the shipper pay the tariff up front.
 
Archer
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Danimals Danimals
I think that's my question, does 15% always apply, or does the watch worksheet allow you to break it out and apply lower rates
No
 
Meme-Dweller
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15% is the tariff. Duties are another thing. So it's duties based on the watch worksheet + the 15% tariff.
 
Danimals
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Meme-Dweller Meme-Dweller
15% is the tariff. Duties are another thing. So it's duties based on the watch worksheet + the 15% tariff.
I think duty and tariff are the same thing?

Tariff = the rate, duty = $ amount you paid based on the rate, so not sure they're independent things?
 
Porteroso
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They are calling it all duty. Or at least UPS was. At no point was i able to see the breakdown, but a quick calculation showed that I was charged the 15% tariff based upon the declared value, plus a tiny additional amount, plus UPS's brokerage fee.

Worth saying that UPS charges more, if you do not pay the duty before delivery. You only have the windows of time between clearing customs, and delivery, to find out what you owe and pay. Here is the text

Save time - prepay online for your shipment. If import fees are not paid before delivery, an additional surcharge will be applied.
 
Archer
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Danimals Danimals
Apologies, that was an either/or question so unclear on which still haha
It doesn't reduce anything. The watch worksheet simply breaks out the value of each part of the watch, so the proper rates of duties ands tariffs will apply.
 
Danimals
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Archer Archer
It doesn't reduce anything. The watch worksheet simply breaks out the value of each part of the watch, so the proper rates of duties ands tariffs will apply.
Ah understood, thanks for the feedback
 
Danimals
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Porteroso Porteroso
They are calling it all duty. Or at least UPS was. At no point was i able to see the breakdown, but a quick calculation showed that I was charged the 15% tariff based upon the declared value, plus a tiny additional amount, plus UPS's brokerage fee.

Worth saying that UPS charges more, if you do not pay the duty before delivery. You only have the windows of time between clearing customs, and delivery, to find out what you owe and pay. Here is the text
Thanks for the info!
 
Dan S
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The newest tariffs supersede the worksheet-based calculation, which was previously used to calculate duties based on the Harmonized Tariff system.
 
sathomasga
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Dan S Dan S
The newest tariffs supersede the worksheet-based calculation, which was previously used to calculate duties based on the Harmonized Tariff system.
That has been my experience with a couple of recent Omega purchases from Japan. Tariffs of 15% plus DHL's service charge of around $19. No other fees.
 
Danimals
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Dan S Dan S
The newest tariffs supersede the worksheet-based calculation, which was previously used to calculate duties based on the Harmonized Tariff system.
Got it, makes sense!
 
Danimals
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sathomasga sathomasga
That has been my experience with a couple of recent Omega purchases from Japan. Tariffs of 15% plus DHL's service charge of around $19. No other fees.
Good to hear the recent experience
 
pdxleaf
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I think the way it works now is that the minimum duty is 15%. But the duty schedule is still used to calculate the amount owed.

Still using the HTS duty schedule to calculate the amount due, if the total is under 15%, then the 15% tariff applies.

If the HTS duty schedule determines the amount owed is 15% or more, then there is no additional tariff.

"For an article the product of Switzerland or Liechtenstein with a Column 1 Duty Rate that is less than 15 percent, the sum of its Column 1 Duty Rate and the additional ad valorem rate of duty pursuant to this notice shall be 15 percent ad valorem. For an article the product of Switzerland or Liechtenstein with a Column 1 Duty Rate that is at least 15 percent, the additional ad valorem rate of duty pursuant to this notice shall be zero."

Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...elated-elements-of-the-framework-for-a-united

Caveat is I am not a lawyer or anything near knowledgeable regarding tariffs and duties. This is how I interpret it and I am happy to be proven ignorant on the subject.
 
hen
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The free-marked capitalists of the US are really good at protecting them selves from the free-marked.
 
Evitzee
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hen hen
The free-marked capitalists of the US are really good at protecting them selves from the free-marked.
15% tariff is still lower than many countries. It'll sort itself out eventually.
 
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