Guide
Dexterous hand landed cost: freight, insurance and warranty
The list price is the first of six numbers. For a $5,000 hand, the other five can add a third again.
Landed cost is the list price plus freight, insurance, import charges, brokerage and a warranty reserve, adjusted for exchange rate and payment terms. For a mid-priced hand bought from an overseas vendor, the total commonly runs 25–40% above the invoice.
Start with the delivery term
The Incoterm on the quote decides which lines you pay. An EXW price leaves freight, insurance and the import entry on your side; a DDP price folds all three into the invoice and hides the margin. Two quotes that differ by 12% are often the same price under different terms, so ask for FOB or CIF before you compare.
This site does not publish import charges as a rate, because the figure depends on the broker, the entry and how the goods are described on the invoice. Ask two brokers for a written landed-cost quote on the exact configuration, then reuse it for the next order.
Ask the vendor for the packing list and the gross weight, then give both to the broker. A hand ships in a foam-cut case that can double the volumetric weight, and volumetric weight is what air freight bills on.
The six numbers
| Line | What it covers | Typical share of a $5,000 hand |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice price | Hand, cables, controller if included | base |
| Freight | Air for one unit, sea for a fleet | 2–6% |
| Insurance | All-risk cover on the shipped value | 1–2% |
| Import charges | As quoted in writing by your broker | 0–8% |
| Brokerage and handling | Entry, bond, terminal fees | 1–3% |
| Warranty reserve | Expected failures outside vendor cover | 5–15% |
The warranty reserve is the line most buyers omit. Vendor warranties are typically one year, and the return path for a failed hand usually runs through the same freight and entry process as the original shipment. Budget a reserve even when the warranty looks adequate.
Currency and payment terms move the number too
A RMB price converted at the rate on the invoice date is not the rate on the day the order was approved, and for a five-figure purchase that gap is visible. Ask whether the quote is fixed in USD or converted at shipment. Ask, too, what deposit is required: 30% up front is common, and that is working capital the budget owner needs to know about.
A worked comparison
Take two hands at very different list prices and apply the same assumptions: 4% freight, 2% insurance, 3% import charges, 2% brokerage, and an 8% warranty reserve. Tax treatment is left out because it is recoverable in most business purchases.
| Line | Hand A | Hand B |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice | $5,000 | $13,000 |
| Freight (4%) | $200 | $520 |
| Insurance (2%) | $100 | $260 |
| Import charges (3%) | $150 | $390 |
| Brokerage (2%) | $100 | $260 |
| Warranty reserve (8%) | $400 | $1,040 |
| Landed | $5,950 | $15,470 |
The percentages are the same, so the absolute gap widens. That is an argument for buying the cheaper hand only if the cheaper hand survives; a $5,950 hand that fails twice a year is more expensive than a $15,470 hand that does not. The buying guide treats service life as a cost line for that reason.
What changes for a fleet
Sea freight and consolidated brokerage cut the percentage sharply, spares shipped with the first order avoid a second freight and entry cycle, and a local distributor can remove the import process entirely at the cost of margin. For quantities above roughly twenty units, ask for an FOB or CIF quote and price the logistics separately. The number will be lower and the risk will be clearer.
Questions
What should a landed-cost quote include?
Freight, insurance, import charges, brokerage, any tax you cannot recover, and a warranty reserve. Ask for it in writing on the exact configuration, not on a generic model name.
Is it cheaper to buy through a local distributor?
Often, for one or two units, because the distributor absorbs freight, entry and warranty handling. For a fleet, direct purchase usually wins.
Should I insure the shipment?
Yes. A hand is a precision assembly, and freight damage claims without insurance are effectively total losses.