Question 1

What is Total Landed Cost?

Accepted Answer

Total Landed Cost (TLC) is the complete cost of a product delivered to the buyer's door, including: product price, shipping, customs duties, VAT/GST, processing fees, insurance, and brokerage. POTAL calculates all 15 cost components.

Question 2

What is an HS Code?

Accepted Answer

The Harmonized System (HS) code is a standardized numerical method of classifying traded products. It is used by customs authorities around the world to identify products for tariff and statistical purposes. HS codes are maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and consist of 6 digits at the international level, with countries adding additional digits for national specificity.

Question 3

How much does POTAL cost?

Accepted Answer

Free: $0 (200 lookups/mo), Basic: $20/mo (2,000), Pro: $80/mo (10,000), Enterprise: $300/mo (50,000). Annual billing saves 20%. All plans include the same features — only volume differs.

Question 4

How does POTAL classify products to HS codes?

Accepted Answer

POTAL uses a 9-field classification system following WCO General Rules of Interpretation (GRI). The engine applies 592 codified rules, 1,233 Heading descriptions, and 5,621 Subheading conditions with 0-2 AI calls (most products need zero). Results are cached for instant future lookups at $0 cost.

Question 5

What is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA)?

Accepted Answer

An FTA is an agreement between two or more countries to reduce or eliminate tariffs on goods traded between them. POTAL tracks 63 active FTAs and automatically identifies available preferential rates when you specify origin and destination countries.

Question 6

What is VAT/GST?

Accepted Answer

Value Added Tax (VAT) or Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a consumption tax applied to goods and services. POTAL covers VAT/GST rates for all 240 countries and territories, including standard rates, reduced rates, and product-specific rates.

Question 7

What is sanctions screening?

Accepted Answer

Sanctions screening checks if a trade party appears on restricted party lists (OFAC SDN, BIS Entity, EU, UN, UK). POTAL screens against 21,301 entries from 19 sources. Mandatory for all US exporters and recommended globally.

Question 8

How do I get an API key?

Accepted Answer

Sign up at potal.app, go to Dashboard > API Keys, and click 'Create Key'. You'll get a publishable key (pk_live_) for client-side use and a secret key (sk_live_) for server-side use. The Free plan includes 200 API calls per month.

Question 9

What happens if I exceed my plan limit?

Accepted Answer

Paid plans have overage pricing: Basic $0.015/lookup, Pro $0.012/lookup, Enterprise $0.01/lookup. Overages are billed at the end of the month. Free plan users are blocked at the limit.

Question 10

What is de minimis?

Accepted Answer

De minimis is the threshold below which imported goods are exempt from customs duties and/or taxes. Thresholds vary by country — e.g., US $800, EU €150 (customs), AU A$1,000. POTAL includes de minimis data for all 240 countries.

Knowledge Base