FAQ USA car import

Here you find the frequently asked questions (FAQ) for vehicle shipments from the USA below. In order to disburden the overview we have subdivided into chapters while at the end you will find information about financial and payment topics.

Please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone in Bremen at +49 (0) 421/649 227 - 0 and our dedicated team will be happy to assist you.

General questions for USA car import

How much time do you need to transport my car from the USA?
Which are the domestic transportation costs within the USA?
Do you drive my vehicle?
What about nun running vehicles?
Which documents are needed?
Do you provide any transport insurance?
Is there any risk that my car becomes wet during seafreight?
What exactly is a roll on/roll off shipping?
From where in the USA do you offer container shipments?
Where do I collect my car upon arrival?
Which are your office hours?
Do you ship to Austria?
Do you transport to Switzerland?
Which are the requirements for the duty/tax free entry as household goods?

Financial questions

Do you require any downpayment?
Is your invoice due?
To whom do I pay the duties and tax?
How do I pay?
How much duty and tax is applicable?
What about offers in different currencies, some costs are in US$ others in EURO?
Do you provide the homoligation to German/European Standard (TÜV)?
Can I leave personal belongings inside the car?
Do you collect cars from seller or store?
Can I arrange the purchase of an US vehicle through you?
Can I send somebody to collect my car after arrival?
Do you ship unpacked motorbikes?
Are there any unexpected costs?
Which docs are required for the entry into Germany/European Union?
How do I place my order with you?
How often do you ship?
Do you offer door delivery?
I have further questions, what shall I do?

General questions for USA car import

How much time do you need to transport my car from the USA?

Transit times from the USA depend on the location oft he vehicle in the USA and the port of loading. From all our terminals in the USA such as New York, Miami, Houston and Los Angeles we do have weekly departures which voyage time on sea from 12 days (New York) up to 28 days from the US Westcoast to European Continent.

Which are the domestic transportation costs within the USA?
We don't provide rates per mile and prefer to quote individually as costs depend on the size and condition of the vehicle as well as on distance to a seaport compared to ocean rates. Also our offer is always based on actual costs.

Do you drive my vehicle?
The domestic pick up is done by reliable trucking companies. However during loading and discharging process we drive the car on terminal ground.

What about nun running vehicles?
Non operating vehicles are loaded in containers by platform or winch. Fork lifts are not used for this purpose. However for any roll on/roll off shipments non runner are not accepted.

Which documents are needed?
For the export customs clearance as well as for the import into the European Union or Switzerland the original US title and a bill of sale is requested. For transports departing from Florida local customs demand a passport copy of the buyer.

Do you provide any transport insurance?
Yes, we work with a well respected German insurance company and can offer you favorable insurance premiums , due to our low damage quota. You may choose between total loss or full coverage.

Is there any risk that my car becomes wet during seafreight?
No, not at all. Containers are waterproof sealed.

What exactly is a roll on/roll off shipping?
Like swimming "parking garages" , roll on / roll off vessels transport rolling units, mainly vehicles, on certain routes. On those short called ro/ro ships, we offer shipping opportunities for vehicles which don't fit into containers due to their size. However departures may not be weekly and cars are uncovered in the port area while waiting for loading. Non running vehicles or cars with household goods inside can not be shipped ro/ro.

From where in the USA do you offer container shipments?
Our terminals for consolidated car containers are in New York, Savannah, Charleston,  Jacksonville, Miami, Houston and Los Angeles.

Where do I collect my car upon arrival?
Our designited warehouses are conveniently located in Bremen and Rotterdam. However door deliveries are available throughout Europe on request.

Which are your office hours?
Our office and warehouse is open Monday - Friday 8.oo - 5.p.m., in Rotterdam we close an hour earlier at 4.pm.

Do you ship to Austria?
Yes, from Bremen as well as from Rotterdam we arrange the road transport to your door in Austria at low costs.

Do you transport to Switzerland?
Yes, cars for Switzerland are discharged off container in Bremen and sent on transit bond to you or our customs clerk in Basel .

Which are the requirements for the duty/tax free entry as household goods?
NON EU citizen must have a valid working or residence permission along with some documents. We will advise you individually in our offer. If you come with your car travel belongings are free. Please note that for pass holders of an EU member country different conditions apply.

Financial questions

Do you require any downpayment?

No, downpayments or pre-payments are not required. Our invoices are due after arrival.

Is your invoice due?
After effected customs clearance we will issue the invoice and it is due prior collection or delivery, payable in cash ((EURO/US$)or by wire transfer.

To whom do I pay the duties and tax?
If duty/tax is applicable for your import we will charge you as per outlay. If you are US Army affiliate in Germany no duty/tax is applicable.

How do I pay?
We accept cash payments in our office in Bremen or wire transfer. Please understand that we don't take any credit cards or checques.

How much duty and tax is applicable?
In case of regular import if non exception is granted, the duty will be 10% for passenger cars, import tax is 19%

What about offers in different currencies, some costs are in US$ others in EURO?

In order to have a possible long validity of our offers we do quote ocean freight and US charges in US$ while destination charges are in Euro.
Basically you can pay in US$ or EURO or partly in US$ or EURO. The rate of exchange will be fixed at the date of the departing vessel.

Do you provide the homoligation to German/European Standard (TÜV)?
We don't do by ourselves but intermediate on request and propose reliable companies.

Can I leave personal belongings inside the car?
Yes, if we ship in container you can leave household goods inside the car. But the drivers seat and the rear view must be free. However we are not liable for any loss or damages for such items. If you have valuable goods please pack or carte them and we will ship separated from the car but in the same container. Extra costs will apply.

Do you collect cars from seller or store?
yes, nationwide pick ups with reliable truckers are available.

Can I arrange the purchase of an US vehicle through you?
After confirmation with the seller we may pay the car and collect it. However we can't check the vehicle physically in advance. Please ask for our escrow contract.

Can I send somebody to collect my car after arrival?

It depends. I fit is a regular import and duty/tax has been paid you may entitle someone to collect your car. However for tourists or if you import as moving goods it is prohibited. Only the registered owner can drive the car.

Do you ship unpacked motorbikes?

Yes, definitely. Motorbikes are one of our key aspects and can be shipped without any further crating safely in our weekly consolidated containers from New York, Savannah, Miami, Houston and Los Angeles. On request with domestic pick up and /or door delivery.

Are there any unexpected costs?

All expected costs are considered in our offer. However unforeseen requirements by authorities or shipping lines resulting into addiotnal charges will be billed as per outlay.

Which docs are required for the entry into Germany/European Union?
Please provide the original title and a commercial invoice. Most times we will have received such documents from the shipper already.

How do I place my order with you?
To place an order please use our booking form with is attached to our offer. After receipt we are going to send you a booking confirmation with further useful information.

How often do you ship?
There are regular departures from the main US ports, from New York, Miami, Houston and Los Angeles we have a weekly consolidated service.

Do you offer door delivery?
Yes, please ask us for our individual freight rates for delivery to your door step within Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

I have further questions, what shall I do?
In case of additional questions we are happy to assist you and kindly ask you to contact us by email or phone +49 (0) 421/649 227 - 0.

Pangaea Cargo

As a traditional Bremen shipping agent we are a Hanseatic forwarding agency with passion. We provide professional service for business and for private customers, import and export, sea and air, door to door, worldwide....
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