Florida Import Duties 2026: What Every Importer Needs to Know
Florida's four ports — Port of Miami, Port Everglades, Port Tampa Bay, and JAXPORT — handle over $72 billion in imports annually. In 2026, the tariff stack on those goods has changed significantly. The IEEPA tariffs that defined 2025 are gone. Section 122 replaced them. Section 301 is still fully active. And Section 232 auto tariffs are creating surprises for importers who thought USMCA protected them.
This guide walks through every layer of the 2026 tariff structure, with three real Florida trade lane examples that show exactly what importers are paying right now.
What changed in early 2026
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down the administration's IEEPA-based tariffs 6–3 in Learning Resources v. Trump. Within 72 hours, the administration invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — a rarely-used authority that permits a temporary 15% global surcharge for balance-of-payments emergencies. The actual rate came in at 10%, effective February 24, 2026.
The practical result: the headline tariff number dropped for most importers, but the structure is otherwise similar to what it replaced. Section 122 applies globally — not just to China — though FTA partners like Canada (USMCA), Mexico (USMCA), and most CAFTA-DR countries retain their preferential rates as long as goods genuinely qualify under rules of origin.
For a deeper breakdown of what the SCOTUS ruling changed and how Section 122 works mechanically, see our post: IEEPA Struck Down: What Section 122 Means for Florida Importers.
The 2026 Florida tariff stack, layer by layer
Florida importers in 2026 are dealing with up to five tariff layers stacking on a single shipment. Understanding each one — and in what order they apply — is the difference between a profitable PO and an unexpected bill at the dock.
MFN base rate
The Most-Favored-Nation duty rate is the starting point for every HTS code. Rates range from 0% on most electronics to 16.5% on cotton apparel (HTS 6109.10.00) and 25%+ on some footwear and ceramics. If your goods qualify under an FTA, this rate may reduce to 0% — but you still need to read the layers below.
Section 301 (China only)
China-origin goods carry an additional 7.5%–25% under Section 301, stacking directly on top of the MFN rate. The SCOTUS ruling did not touch Section 301 — these remain fully active in 2026 following USTR review. List 1 goods (largely industrial equipment) carry 7.5%. Lists 2, 3, and 4A carry 25%. See our full breakdown: Section 301 Tariffs 2026. See our full breakdown: Section 301 Tariffs 2026.
Section 122 global surcharge
The 10% Section 122 surcharge applies to most countries, including China, that are not FTA partners. Mexico, Canada, and CAFTA-DR nations are exempt — but only for qualifying goods. Non-qualifying USMCA goods (i.e., goods that don't meet rules of origin) pay MFN + Section 122, not 0%.
Section 232 (steel, aluminum, and — critically — vehicles)
Section 232 imposes a 25% surcharge on steel articles, 10% on aluminum, and since 2025, 25% on imported passenger vehicles. This last one is catching Florida auto importers off guard — USMCA does not exempt vehicles from Section 232.
ADD/CVD antidumping orders
Antidumping and countervailing duty orders can run into the hundreds of percent and stack on top of everything else. There are 735+ active ADD/CVD cases covering goods from steel nails (Vietnam, +323%) to wooden cabinets (China, +262%). Always check before you commit to a supplier.
CBP also collects the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) of 0.3464% of customs value — capped between $33.58 and $651.50 per entry — and the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) of 0.125%. These aren't tariffs, but they show up on your entry summary and need to be in your landed cost model. For a complete step-by-step import duty calculation guide, including MPF and HMF, see that post.
Three Florida trade lanes: what importers actually pay
Abstract percentages don't mean much until you run the numbers on a real shipment. Here are three active Florida trade lanes — drawn from the highest-volume corridors at Port of Miami, Port Everglades, and JAXPORT — showing exactly how the 2026 tariff stack works in practice.
Example 1 · Port Everglades
Cotton apparel from Honduras · HTS 6109.10.00
Honduras is the largest single-country supplier of apparel to Florida importers. Cotton T-shirts (HTS 6109.10.00) carry a 16.5% MFN rate. Under CAFTA-DR — the Central America Free Trade Agreement — goods that meet rules of origin (yarn-forward for most apparel) enter at 0%.
The win: $3,251 saved per container versus MFN rates. CAFTA-DR is one of the clearest FTA advantages for Florida's enormous apparel import corridor — but you must have the certificate of origin and meet yarn-forward rules. Section 122 does not apply to CAFTA-DR qualifying goods.
No PGA requirements for cotton apparel from Honduras. FDA, USDA, and FWS flags only trigger on regulated categories — check with your broker before assuming this applies to blended fabrics.
Example 2 · JAXPORT
Passenger vehicle from Mexico · HTS 8703.23.00
JAXPORT is the largest vehicle import port on the US East Coast, handling 340,000+ vehicles annually. Many Florida auto dealers source vehicles from Mexico believing USMCA means zero duty. In 2025–2026, that assumption is expensive: Section 232 imposes a 25% tariff on passenger vehicles regardless of USMCA origin status.
The surprise: A vehicle that clears at zero MFN under USMCA still pays $8,450 in Section 232 tariffs. For dealers importing at volume — say, 50 vehicles per quarter — that's $1.69M in unexpected annual tariff exposure. EPA emissions certification is also required before the vehicle can enter US commerce.
Section 232 on vehicles also applies to vehicles from Canada, Germany, Korea, and Japan regardless of any FTA status. There is currently no exclusion process for auto dealers. Check the current rate for your specific HTS code before finalizing POs.
Example 3 · Port of Miami
Fresh roses from Colombia · HTS 0603.11.00
Port of Miami is the primary US entry point for Colombian cut flowers — $1.4B worth per year, perishable, time-sensitive, and tariff-sensitive. Under the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (USCOFTA), fresh roses enter at 0% versus a 6.4% MFN rate.
The savings: $602 per shipment at 0% versus 6.4% MFN. At the volumes Miami flower importers operate — multiple shipments per week during peak season — USCOFTA eligibility is material. The critical requirement here is not the tariff but the PGA: USDA/APHIS requires a phytosanitary certificate for all fresh plant material, and inspections are routine at Miami's cold chain facilities.
USCOFTA FTA status must be declared on CBP Form 3461 at entry. Keep your phytosanitary certificate with the shipment — APHIS inspections at Port of Miami typically clear within 24 hours for certified product.
Florida port-specific duty considerations
The tariff rate for an HTS code is federally uniform — it doesn't change based on which port you use. But the operational reality of clearing goods does differ across Florida's four major ports, and those differences affect your total landed cost.
Port of Miami
Handles 52% of all US ocean trade with Latin America. Dominant corridor for CAFTA-DR apparel, Colombian perishables, and Caribbean goods. FTZ #32 available for duty deferral on electronics components.
CAFTA-DR · USCOFTA · FTZ #32
Port Everglades
Florida's primary petroleum import hub with strong CAFTA-DR apparel and Dominican Republic corridor. FTZ #25. Average container drayage ~$425, lower than Miami.
CAFTA-DR · Dominican Republic · FTZ #25
Port Tampa Bay
Dominates bulk commodities — phosphate, Brazilian steel, OJ concentrate. Brazilian steel importers need to check Section 232 rates carefully; rates jumped from 25% to 50% for some HTS codes in 2026.
Brazil steel · Section 232 · FTZ #79
JAXPORT
#1 US East Coast vehicle port with 340K+ vehicles annually. Largest German and Korean auto brand import hub for the Southeast. Section 232 on vehicles is the dominant duty issue here in 2026.
Vehicles · Section 232 · FTZ #64
For a detailed breakdown of each port's commodity flows, drayage zones, and FTZ benefits, see the Florida Import Intelligence hub.
How to look up your actual 2026 duty rate
The fastest way to get your stacked duty rate — MFN + Section 301 (if China) + Section 122 + Section 232 (if applicable) + ADD/CVD check — in a single lookup is The Tariff Desk HTS Code Lookup. Enter your HTS code, select origin country, and get the full stack in seconds.
What manual lookups require you to do across four separate government databases — USITC CROSS, USTR Section 301 lists, Commerce ADD/CVD case database, and the Federal Register proclamation archive — the tool returns in one response, with the correct stacking order applied automatically.
Quick reference: 2026 rates by origin
The bottom line for Florida importers
2026 is a more complex tariff environment than 2024 or 2025 — not because rates are universally higher, but because the stacking structure has changed and the old assumptions (USMCA covers everything from Mexico, IEEPA applies, China rates are stable) have all been wrong in the last six months.
The three rules that matter most for Florida importers right now:
Verify FTA eligibility before every PO — rules of origin are easy to fail, and the duty savings only apply if you can prove qualification to CBP.
Check Section 232 exposure separately — it stacks on top of USMCA and CAFTA-DR for vehicles, steel, and aluminum, and catches importers who only verified the base tariff.
Run the ADD/CVD check on any new supplier country or product category — 735+ active orders means meaningful exposure is common, not rare.
Look up any HTS code — full duty stack in seconds
MFN base rate, Section 301, Section 122, Section 232, and ADD/CVD check — stacked correctly for your origin country and Florida port.
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