noun
duty
A tax charged on imported goods.
The importer pays duty on the shipment of leather bags.
Etymology
Duty developed from due, something owed. A customs duty is thus an amount owed to the authorities on goods brought into a country.
More examples
- Customs officers calculated the duty at the border.
- Some goods enter the country without duty.
- Higher duties increased the price of imported steel.
Forms
duty · duties