US Auto Czar

Things to Be Done Before You Ship Your Vehicle to US

Planning to import your car to US? Wondering what has to be done for that? Forget your worries, this article will provide you a detailed idea of what is to be done. But still the requirements are subject to frequent changes so its always better EPA and DOT before importing your vehicle.

Vehicles are permitted to be imported to U.S only if they are up to the safety standards, bumper standards, and air pollution control (emission) standards of the U.S government.

Many vehicles that are produced overseas and that are up to the U.S. safety, bumper, and emission standards are exported deliberately for sale in the United States therefore, it is improbable that a vehicle bought abroad meets all significant standards

Arrangements that are required

First of all what you need to do is to find a best shipping company to ship your car safely. Get to know the exact date of arrival of the vehicle so that you can get it cleared from the customs as early as possible.

Unless you arrange for a freight forwarder abroad your shipments won't be cleared at the first port of entry. Customs officers are forbidden by law from acting as agents or making entries for an importer

Documentation that is required for Customs Clearance

- Original bill of lading of the shipper or the carrier
- The bill of sale
- Foreign registration
- And all other documents related to the vehicle

The documentation also includes few other forms that are to be filled like EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7.

Cleaning the Undercarriage

Clean the undercarriage the vehicle. This is required because the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires the imported vehicles to be free of foreign soil inorder to safeguard against the importation of hazardous vermin.

Do Not Keep Your Personal Belongings in the car

This is said for your own safety and security, as the things may get lost on loading and unloading the vehicle.

- Transport companies may not accept your car with personal belongings.
- Some transport companies accept but still it may increase the cost of shipment.
- Your car will be declared to the Customs along with the belongings within it. Else it may result in a fine or seizure of the car and its contents.

Dutiable Entry

Foreign-made vehicles that are imported to US are generally subjected to import tax, irrespective of whether they are new or old, either for personal use or for sale.

Autos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.5%
Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25%
Motorcycles. . . . . . . . . . either fee or 2.4%
Duty rates are based on amount paid or billed.

Federal Tax

Certain imported vehicles may be subject to the "gas-guzzler" tax. The amount to paid for this is based on a combined urban/highway fuel-economy (miles per gallon) rating given by the EPA for gas-guzzler tax purposes. This EPA rating may be dissimilar from fuel-economy ratings specified by the producer.

If the EPA has not assigned a gas-guzzler fuel-economy rating for the model automobile you import, a rating must be autonomously determined. No tax is forced on vehicles that have a shared fuel-economy rating of at least 22.5 miles per gallon.

The article does not cover all the Custom policies and other agencies, and they are subject to change. Before importing your car, be sure to get in touch with the Customs Attache or Commercial Officer at your nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy, or the right agency (particularly DOT and EPA).