Tariff exposure analysis checklist

Tariff exposure analysis checklist for importers with duty cost in COGS.

Use this checklist to decide whether tariff exposure is measurable enough for a records-first screen before moving into claim-facing specialist work.

1. Confirm the cost pool.

Pull a duty and tariff cost view by entry, supplier, product, date, and landed-cost component. The goal is not to prove eligibility. The goal is to decide whether the cost pool is material enough to justify organized review.

2. Tie exposure to products and margin.

A useful tariff exposure analysis connects duty cost to SKU, BOM, invoice, inventory receipt, or COGS posting. If the duty pool cannot be tied to the products that create margin pressure, the next move is record cleanup.

3. Separate tariff facts from claim conclusions.

Public tariff resources can explain what programs and remedies exist, but they do not decide whether a company has a claim. Use official tariff resources and a source-file map to prepare better questions for qualified specialists.

4. Build the stop/go evidence list.

The minimum stop/go package should include line-level import records, duty-paid fields, landed-cost allocation logic, downstream shipment or usage evidence where relevant, and a gap list. The tariff exposure analysis for importers guide explains the broader workflow.