Import, Export and Car Shipping to the United States of America (USA)

Cost of Shipping a Car from the UK to the USA

The total cost of shipping depends on the vehicle make, model and most importantly size. We work directly with all shipping lines in the UK to arrange regular and reliable vehicle exports from the UK to the USA.

Shipping to the USA is priced by arrival port and by vehicle type. The full table of indicative port-to-port rates is below.

What is included in our price?

• Loading and lashing vehicle into ship
• UK customs export and clearance
• UK port handling charges
• DVLA documentation and export certification
• Export documentation (e.g. Bill of Lading)
• Posting of the Export Documents from UK by UPS/DHL
• Shipping of the vehicle from the UK to Destination Port

Our price excludes

• Pre-Export Inspection (if required)
• Marine Insurance (container only)
• Collection and/or delivery of the vehicle
• All destination country's import fees

Apart from import duty, taxes, port storage and demurrage at the destination, which the importer always pays, we can add any of these to your quotation, priced separately, along with customs clearance, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent.

Shipping to the United States of America (USA)

UK Vehicle Exporters provides weekly car shipping by container and RoRo from the UK to the USA, and offers our professional shipping services direct from all main UK ports to and from the USA. We can handle the whole process for you: beyond the sailing, we can arrange US customs clearance and delivery to any state through a local agent, quoted separately, or work with an agent of your choice.

RoRo Vehicle Shipping to USA

We offer Roll on Roll off services for cars, SUVs, autos, motorhomes, trucks, vans and buses. All sailings are direct from the UK ports of Liverpool or Southampton to all RoRo ports in the United States, which include Freeport, Baltimore, New York, Norfolk, Brunswick, Miami, Charleston, Galveston, Jacksonville, Port Hueneme and Tacoma.

Container Car Export to America

We also provide containerised vehicle shipping to the United States of America, for vehicles to be secured and shipped inside their own dedicated 20ft or 40ft shipping containers. We operate a weekly container shipping schedule with departures from the main UK ports of Bristol, Felixstowe, Grangemouth, Liverpool and London Gateway.

Shipping a Car to Hawaii

No vessel sails to Hawaii direct from the UK, so cars for Honolulu cross to the US West Coast first and continue on the Hawaii services that run from there. See our Honolulu port guide for how the port handles vehicles and how the onward leg works.

Documentation Required for Booking

• Car Registration Document (V5 or Logbook) and Vehicle Invoice (or value).
• ID (one government-issued photo ID and one utility bill showing address).

Payment Terms / Modes

• A £1,000 deposit secures a vehicle we source or buy for you. It is part of the price, not an extra fee. If you cancel, our terms and conditions say what is refunded.
• The balance is due in full, in cleared funds, before the vehicle is loaded, unless your quotation sets out different terms.
• Bank transfer preferred. Card payments up to £5,000, with no fee on personal debit or credit cards.
• Letters of credit, cheques, money orders and cash are not accepted.

Our Other Services

Car Sourcing and Buying on your behalf

Buying and exporting a car to USA doesn't need to be stressful. UK Vehicle Exporters specialises in sourcing and exporting vehicles from the UK, with trusted shipping partners and support at every stage, from choosing the vehicle through to loading it onto the ship.

Tax-Free Vehicle Supply and UK VAT

UK Preferential Origin (Reduced Import Duty)

Some UK-built vehicles may qualify for reduced or zero import duty. That depends on the UK having a trade agreement with the destination country and on the car meeting that agreement's rules of origin. During your quote, we'll confirm whether the vehicle you're interested in qualifies.

VAT-free Supply of VAT-Qualifying (VATQ) Cars

A VAT-registered dealer can sell a new car, or a used car that carries VAT on its full price, free of UK VAT when it is exported and HMRC's conditions are met. Used cars of that kind are known in the trade as VAT-qualifying: typically ex-rental or ex-lease cars, where the hire or leasing company reclaimed the VAT when it bought them. On a VAT-inclusive price, the VAT is one-sixth. A used car sold under the second-hand margin scheme is different: VAT is due only on the dealer's margin, and HMRC does not let a dealer zero-rate it as an ordinary export. We are not VAT registered, so the saving comes off the dealer's price, not as a refund from us. We arrange the export to USA and give the dealer the proof of export it needs.

HMRC's Personal Export Scheme (PES)

The Personal Export Scheme lets overseas visitors and UK residents who are leaving the UK, and will stay outside it with the car for at least six months, buy a car free of VAT and use it here before it is exported. Only VAT-registered businesses can operate the scheme, so you buy from a dealer that runs it. The car must leave within 12 months of delivery for an overseas visitor, or 6 months for a UK resident, or the VAT becomes payable. It can suit anyone relocating to USA: we find a dealer that runs the scheme and ship the car when you are ready. How the scheme works.