Car Shipping to San Diego, USA
On San Diego Bay in southern California, about 10 miles from the Mexican border. UK Vehicle Exporters Ltd ships vehicles from the UK to San Diego, handling the whole UK side for you: car sourcing, tax-free supply where the car qualifies, buying on your behalf, inspections, collection and delivery to the UK port, UK customs clearance and loading onto the ship.
About Port of San Diego
The Port of San Diego is run by the San Diego Unified Port District, created in 1962, which manages the bay across five cities. It has two cargo terminals: Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal for refrigerated and breakbulk cargo, and National City Marine Terminal for vehicles.
Area served: Southern California, with direct Class I rail access at National City.
How Vehicles Are Handled at San Diego
Vehicles are handled at National City Marine Terminal, a 135-acre site with four working berths, operated by Pasha Automotive Services under a terminal agreement running to 2040. The port says it handles one in every ten new foreign cars shipped to the US, and Pasha reported volumes of more than 400,000 vehicles a year when the agreement was signed in 2010.
- Port authority
- San Diego Unified Port District
- Vehicle terminal
- National City Marine Terminal
- Operator
- Pasha Automotive Services
- Terminal size
- 135 acres, 4 berths
Shipping a Car from the UK to San Diego
We handle the whole UK side of an export to San Diego: sourcing the vehicle, tax-free supply from the selling dealer where the car qualifies, collection from any UK address, UK customs clearance and export documentation, and loading onto the ship by RoRo or container.
Any import duty and taxes are paid by the importer, whoever clears the car. We can arrange customs clearance, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent, quoted separately, or work with an agent of your choice. For costs, the full sailing schedule and everything else about exporting to USA, see our USA shipping guide.
Our Other Services
UK Car Sourcing & Supply
We source any new or used vehicle from any manufacturer in the UK, through our network of franchised dealers, car auctions, classified listings and private sellers, then inspect, purchase and export it to your country.
Buy a Car in the UK on Your Behalf
We check, view and buy the UK car you've found, from a dealer or a private seller, then ship it to you, protecting you from the pitfalls of paying an unknown seller from overseas.
Tax-Free & VAT-Free Vehicle Supply
We find new and VAT-qualifying used cars from VAT-registered dealers who will sell them free of UK VAT for export, which takes a sixth off a VAT-inclusive price. The saving comes from the dealer, not as a refund from us: we are not VAT registered. We arrange the export and give the dealer the proof it needs.
New / Used Car Export
We export new and used cars from the UK every week, sourced from our dealer, auction and trade network or supplied by you, given a multi-point inspection before shipment and shipped worldwide by RoRo or container.
Pre-Purchase Inspections
Before you commit to a car, we check its DVLA, MOT and recall records and run a paid UK history check, then view it, compare it with its logbook and send you photos and a video. A full mechanical inspection by an independent inspector can be added, quoted separately.
Government Pre-Shipping Inspection
Where the destination country requires a pre-export roadworthiness inspection, we arrange it with the approved inspection agency before the sailing so the vehicle is not held up on arrival. Quoted separately from the shipping price.
UK Vehicle Collection & Delivery
We collect any vehicle from any UK address and deliver it to the departure port at £1 per mile, driven on DVLA plates or moved on a carrier, timed to meet the booked sailing.
Secure Vehicle Storage
Vehicles wait with us in a secure compound between purchase and sailing, so there is no rush to move a car the day you buy it and nothing accumulating in storage charges at the port. Quoted separately from the shipping price.
Paintwork Reconditioning
Where a car would arrive the better for it, we can recondition the paintwork before it ships — worth doing while the vehicle is with us rather than paying to sort it out after it lands. Quoted separately from the shipping price.
UK Vehicle Customs Clearance
We make export declarations directly on the UK customs system and prepare every document needed at the UK port of exit, including the Bill of Lading, export certificate and DVLA export documentation.