#News&Insights

MyGTS: Calculate Your Customs Duties & Taxes for Free

Vivien Christel Vella
Vivien Christel Vella
Senior Global Digital Marketing Manager
4 min read
man looking at laptop screen

MyGTS (My Global Trade Services) is a free online platform from DHL that helps businesses manage international shipping requirements.

Shipping internationally from Latin America's largest e-commerce market offers incredible growth potential, but unexpected customs friction can quickly halt your expansion.

If you are preparing an overseas shipment, you have likely asked your team at least one of these high-stakes questions: "What explicit paperwork does the Receita Federal or foreign customs require?", "How much duty will my business have to settle at the destination border?", or "Will my product clear customs without expensive delays?"

Mismatched data and uncalculated border taxes represent the primary reasons why growing Brazilian cross-border businesses face shipment holds.

To solve this operational bottleneck, MyGTS (My Global Trade Services) provides a user-friendly, free digital platform to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) navigate every aspect of cross-border logistics—including customs documentation, import regulations, and upfront tariff estimations.

Utilizing these automated tools allows your business to plan with confidence and ensure your products clear international borders smoothly.

 

Shipping internationally from Latin America's largest e-commerce market offers incredible growth potential, but unexpected customs friction can quickly halt your expansion. If you are preparing an overseas shipment, you have likely asked your team at least one of these high-stakes questions: "What explicit paperwork does the Receita Federal or foreign customs require?", "

How much duty will my business have to settle at the destination border?", or "Will my product clear customs without expensive delays?" Mismatched data and uncalculated border taxes represent the primary reasons why growing Brazilian cross-border businesses face shipment holds.

To solve this operational bottleneck, MyGTS (My Global Trade Services) provides a user-friendly, free digital platform to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) navigate every aspect of cross-border logistics—including customs documentation, import regulations, and upfront tariff estimations.

Utilizing these automated tools allows your business to plan with confidence and ensure your products clear international borders smoothly.

What is MyGTS and how does it simplify cross-border trade?

MyGTS (My Global Trade Services) is a free, self-service online trade platform designed to help businesses navigate the complex regulations of international commerce.

Whether you are dispatching your very first overseas e-commerce order via platforms like VTEX or Nuvemshop, or scaling a business-to-business (B2B) export supply chain, the portal provides instant access to verified compliance data.

The consolidated platform brings together four key types of trade content into a single digital assistant:

  • Country-Specific Regulatory Information: Clear insights into changing compliance rules across 227 countries and territories.

  • Customs Tariffs and Assessments: Real-time visibility into the localized tax percentages enforced at your destination border.

  • Import/Export Requirements: Comprehensive screening metrics to identify prohibited, restricted, or dual-use commodities before packing your inventory.

  • Trade Documentation Guidance: Structured, downloadable templates to ensure your border paperwork matches regulatory mandates exactly.

Your team does not need to be certified customs brokers to utilize the platform. The system is built to be entirely intuitive, making it an ideal digital asset for growing e-commerce brands and local SMEs aiming to reduce unexpected border costs and ship across global corridors with total confidence.

 

How do you calculate your true landed cost for international shipping?

You can calculate your estimated landed cost by utilizing the automated import and duty calculator inside the MyGTS platform before your freight leaves the warehouse. According to data from ABCOMM (Brazilian Electronic Commerce Association), unexpected delivery fees and uncalculated destination taxes are the leading causes of international shopping cart abandonment and negative customer reviews for cross-border retailers.

Landed cost represents the total comprehensive expense of getting your product directly to your customer’s doorstep—incorporating the core product price, international transportation rates, customs duties, domestic import taxes (such as VAT or GST), and local carrier handling fees.

Shipping internationally from Latin America's largest e-commerce market offers incredible growth potential, but unexpected customs friction can quickly halt your expansion. If you are preparing an overseas shipment, you have likely asked your team at least one of these high-stakes questions:

  • "What explicit paperwork does the Receita Federal or foreign customs require?"

  • "How much duty will my business have to settle at the destination border?"

  • "Will my product clear customs without expensive delays?"

Mismatched data and uncalculated border taxes represent the primary reasons why growing Brazilian cross-border businesses face shipment holds.

The Solution: MyGTS (My Global Trade Services)

To solve this operational bottleneck, MyGTS provides a user-friendly, free digital platform to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) navigate every aspect of cross-border logistics—including:

  • Customs documentation

  • Import regulations

  • Upfront tariff estimations

Utilizing these automated tools allows your business to plan with confidence and ensure your products clear international borders smoothly.

By entering your exact shipment parameters into the MyGTS calculator, you eliminate financial guesswork and eliminate surprises for your international buyers. Gaining complete visibility over these figures allows your finance team to set competitive retail prices, protect your net profit margins, and choose the most effective billing method for your store.

You can opt to ship Duties & Taxes Paid (DTP/DDP) to absorb all border w3e2qexpenses on your corporate invoice, or Duties & Taxes Unpaid (DTU/DAP) to have the carrier collect the pre-calculated fees from the recipient before final delivery.

 

How do you transition Brazilian NCM codes into global HS codes?

Brazilian exporters can transition their local tax codes into universally accepted classifications by executing an automated code lookup within the MyGTS Product Catalog. Inside Brazil and across regional trade blocs, businesses utilize the 8-digit Nomenclatura Comum do Mercosul (NCM) code to generate domestic tax documentation like the Nota Fiscal Eletrônica (NF-e).

However, customs computers in North America, Europe, or Asia do not recognize NCM numbers. To clear international customs without manual holds, you must convert these classifications into the globally standardized 6-digit Harmonized System (HS) code format.

The legal responsibility to provide correct HS codes always rests entirely with the shipper. To streamline this step, the platform leverages advanced AI to provide potential tariff classifications for your inventory based on simple keyword descriptions or structured directory searches.

Getting this code right is imperative; applying incorrect or outdated tariff codes can lead to miscalculated customs assessments, heavy administrative fines from border regulators, or extended shipment holds. Once verified, the digital Product Catalog allows your team to save multiple tariff codes to speed up repeat shipping dispatches in the future.

What strategic features does MyGTS offer to grow your business?

To help your enterprise scale securely across competitive global markets, the platform provides several strategic features built to reduce trade barriers and optimize your distribution network.

Leverage over 200 free trade agreements

If you are looking to lower your landed costs and improve your commercial competitiveness abroad, free trade agreements (FTAs) can provide a massive operational advantage.

These are treaties between nations that significantly reduce or eliminate import tariffs on specific product categories. The platform automatically helps your team identify which of the 200+ global FTAs apply to your specific merchandise and outlines the exact compliance criteria you must satisfy to qualify for zero-tariff status.

Access more than 5,000 downloadable document templates

Customs requirements vary widely based on your product category and target destination, making inaccurate or incomplete paperwork one of the leading reasons why shipments get delayed at the border.

To eliminate formatting mistakes, the platform gives your warehouse team access to a database of more than 5,000 downloadable import and export templates. This ensures that compliance documents—such as specialized Certificates of Origin or commercial invoices—are completed correctly before scheduling a courier collection.

Evaluate routes with trade lane comparisons

When your business is evaluating which international market to enter next, the Trade Lane Comparison tool can be invaluable. This feature provides a clear, side-by-side view of the specific import restrictions, mandatory documentation rules, and estimated landed costs across different shipping destinations.

Comparing these routes allows your management team to prioritize expansion into markets that feature fewer trade restrictions and lower operational costs.

 

Here’s how MyGTS will help your business grow in new markets

Looking to grow your business internationally? Discover how MyGTS makes cross-border shipping simple, smart, and stress-free. 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

MyGTS (My Global Trade Services) is a free online platform from DHL that helps businesses manage international shipping requirements. It provides tools to calculate tariffs, identify required documents, and understand country-specific regulations.

MyGTS is a DHL tool for any business shipping internationally, including SMEs and e-commerce sellers. It’s especially helpful if you're looking to identify markets with preferential trade agreements.

It simplifies cross-border trade by giving you accurate, up-to-date information on duties, taxes, regulations, and required documentation. This helps you reduce delays at borders and plan more efficiently.

You can access MyGTS through the DHL website by logging in with your DHL Express account or registering for a new MyGTS account. Once logged in, you can search by product, destination, and shipment type to access all relevant trade information.

MyGTS acts as a customs tax calculator, helping you estimate duties and taxes upfront so you can manage costs more effectively. This means you can price your products more confidently, and expand into new markets with less risk.

You can log in to MyGTS with your existing DHL Express account, or register for a new MyGTS account. Click here for your options.

Yes. MyGTS is updated regularly to reflect current international trade regulations, tariffs, and customs requirements across 227 countries and territories.

No, MyGTS is not a booking platform. It’s designed to help you prepare for international shipping by providing the information you need before scheduling a shipment. You can book and manage shipments with MyDHL+

HS codes are international product classification numbers used by customs to determine tariffs, restrictions, and documentation. They are essential for accurate duty calculations and smooth customs clearance.

Landed cost is the total cost of delivering a product to its final destination, including shipping, duties, taxes, and other fees. It’s what your customer (or you) ultimately pays to receive a cross-border shipment.

Knowing your landed cost helps you price products accurately and avoid hidden charges. MyGTS estimates landed costs by combining your product’s HS code, destination country, and applicable customs duty payments.

These are the documents, permits, and declarations required by a country’s customs authority to allow goods to be imported or exported. Requirements vary by product type and destination.

A shipment exception occurs when a delivery is delayed due to unexpected issues like customs holds, missing paperwork, or incorrect address details. Exceptions can impact delivery times but are often resolved with the right information in place.

Looking to grow in new markets? MyGTS is ready to help.

You can log in to MyGTS with your existing DHL Express account, or register for a new MyGTS account. Click below for your options.