Use ClearLane with your AI assistant
ClearLane’s calculators are available as an MCP server, so an AI assistant or automation can work out China to New Zealand freight, duty, GST and cost per unit by itself. It is free and needs no account or API key.
Set it up in one step
Copy this prompt and paste it into your AI assistant (Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT or similar). It tells the assistant how to add the server and use it properly.
Set up the ClearLane MCP server for me.
Name: clearlane
URL: https://clearlane.co.nz/mcp
Transport: Streamable HTTP (a remote server, with no login and no API key)
Add it to the tool I am using right now. For example, in Claude Code run: claude mcp add --transport http clearlane https://clearlane.co.nz/mcp. In Cursor, VS Code or another editor, add an mcpServers entry named clearlane with the url above. In Claude or ChatGPT, add a custom connector with that URL. Tell me if I need to restart or approve anything.
Then call the list_options tool to check it works.
From then on, when I ask about importing goods from China to New Zealand, use estimate_freight, landed_cost_per_unit and insurance_quote. The results are estimates, not quotes: always pass on the list of unknowns and the disclaimer, and point me to https://clearlane.co.nz/#quote for a firm quote.The server address
https://clearlane.co.nz/mcpIt uses the standard “Streamable HTTP” MCP transport. Nothing you send is stored, and no AI model is called on our side: it runs the same calculator as this website.
Add it to your tool
- Claude (claude.ai or the desktop app): Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector. Paste the address above.
- Claude Code:
claude mcp add --transport http clearlane https://clearlane.co.nz/mcp - ChatGPT: in developer mode, add a connector with the address above (no authentication).
- Cursor, VS Code and other editors that read an
mcp.json:{ "mcpServers": { "clearlane": { "url": "https://clearlane.co.nz/mcp" } } } - n8n, Make and other automations: use their MCP client node or tool and point it at the address above.
What your AI can do with it
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
estimate_freight | Landed cost of a list of goods from China to a NZ town: ocean freight, NZ port, delivery by distance, customs levy, duty, GST, optional insurance, cost per unit, and what could change the estimate. |
landed_cost_per_unit | Landed cost per unit for a supplier listing, for your order quantity and for every price break. |
insurance_quote | Example cargo insurance premiums for Institute Cargo Clauses C, B and A. |
list_options | The valid goods categories, ports, Incoterms, currencies and NZ delivery towns. |
Things to try asking
- “I’m buying 500 ceramic mugs at US$2.50 from Ningbo and delivering to Hamilton. What will each one cost me landed?”
- “Compare the cost per unit of these price breaks: 100 at $2.40, 1,000 at $1.90, 5,000 at $1.60.”
- “How much would cargo insurance add to a US$10,000 shipment?”
Call it directly
curl -s https://clearlane.co.nz/mcp \
-H 'content-type: application/json' \
-H 'accept: application/json, text/event-stream' \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"insurance_quote","arguments":{"goods_value":10000}}}'Please note
- Results are estimates, not quotes. Every result includes a list of unknowns and a disclaimer, and your assistant should pass these on.
- Delivery and non-Lyttelton port charges are indicative. Duty rates are provisional general rates. A licensed broker’s written quote is the price that applies.
- The server is rate-limited by Cloudflare. If you plan to call it heavily, get in touch first.
Want a firm quote?
Upload your supplier invoice and a broker will confirm the price.
Get a freight quote