Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF)
Also: HMF
A fee of 0.125% of the customs value on cargo arriving by ocean at a US port; it funds port and harbor maintenance and has no minimum or maximum.
Definition
The HMF is charged only on commercial cargo that arrives by vessel at a US port. It is 0.125% of the customs value, with no floor and no cap, so it scales linearly with value.
Air freight and land-border entries do not pay HMF — the mode of transport is the deciding condition. It's a small fee, but it belongs in any honest landed-cost estimate for ocean shipments.
Worked example
On a $50,000 ocean shipment, HMF is 0.00125 × $50,000 = $62.50.
Related codes & tools
Sources
Definitions are informational, not customs rulings. Confirm rates against the schedule of record and see our methodology & disclaimer.