Boomhauer

May be going to Germany for spring break. Was thinking of bring a used vehicle back with me. It will be 25 years or older so that it is exempt from complying with EPA and DOT regulations

Questions:

• Is it as simple as just buying the vehicle in Germany then having a shipper collect it and deliver it to a port in the US?
• Do I need to employ a customs broker?
• Does the vehicle need to be steam cleaned?
• Can any 25 year old vehicle be imported?

Jack_Russells4ever

Have a look at the linked below shipping company. I think your going to find it is not worth the effort and cost unless it is an extremely rare vehicle or a vehicle with sentimental connections.

https://www.shipoverseas.com/import-...-from-germany/

Good Luck!

Pulaski

It is quite routine, and for a car over 25 years old, bypassing most of the regulatory hurdles, not especially difficult or expensive. I have a couple of vehicles (types, not specific vehicles) that I am contemplating importing when I find the right example, and in one case, when that model reaches 25 years old.

ottotheboar

It is not difficult I have imported quite a few.
Most 25 year old vehicles can be imported some exceptions being right hand drive to left hand drive conversions unlikely in Germany. The engine must be of the original type, this was mostly a problem with Land Rover Defenders with the slow 2.5 NA / and poor 2.5 turbo diesel being replaced with a 200tdi, again unlikely in Germany.
The chassis numbers and VIN plate should match.
The car should be steam cleaned, some ports will reject a dirty vehicle, the last I heard was you can not clean in Baltimore / Norfolk due to contamination risk in the Chesapeake Bay. Other places my allow it but cleaning on the docks is expensive.
The more you can do yourself the less expensive it becomes, plenty of companies offer bespoke services but they are not cheap.
From Europe I have found Hoegh Autoliners very competitive.
You will need a broker but you must download and scan over to them the HS7 declaration that the vehicle is over 25 years old.
Keep the original registration document copies are fine for brokers shippers etc, You will need a bill of sale. Both should be translated I use Straker.Translation.
Once the car is on the water you need the vessel voyage number and you can follow in on a marine tracking website

Boomhauer

Thanks Otto

Does Hoegh handle all the customs and paperwork also? Have you used Hoegh and did you import vehicles from Germany?
Other than Hoegh, any other shippers and brokers in Germany (specifically Berlin) that you would recommend?

If the vehicle speedo is only in KM will that be an issue for US customs?

ottotheboar

I have used Hoegh and Wallenius RORO from Europe, from the Middle East shipping is by container. The Hoegh website lists their offices, At a guess loading would be from Hamburg if you are buying in Berlin. They can probably suggest a broker.
My daily driver is a 110 Defender I imported from Germany, the speedo is in KPH.
As I mentioned previously the more you do yourself the less expensive it is.

Wh431

Aber warum? Autos sind billiger hier.

Pulaski

If you have to ask, I can't explain it to you in a way that you'd understand.

That said, I don't recall ever seeing you post on the "Let's talk about cars" thread.

Wh431

The question wasn’t meant for you. If you ve nothing to say, why bother replying?

Pulaski

BE is a public forum. You don't get to determine who responds to your posts.

tht

My young brother shipped his German VW camper to Philadelphia (cheapest port) from the Netherlands. He registered it in Canada and 3 years later took it back to Europe and to registered it there … I think he did it all himself… without an broker, I remember him complaining about having to pay for an escort on to the the dock / customs area to collect it. On the way back he did all the national parks… the red mud he washed off from Death Valley room 6 plus to be washed away by the rain…

Pulaski

From my own experience with imports into the US (not vehicles) is that there is a value of the import above which you are required to use a customs broker. IIRC about fifteen years ago it was $2,500.

ottotheboar

CBP website says after $2500 value it is a formal entry and a broker is needed. Offhand I believe watches, textiles, rubber items and bearings possibly other items are a formal entry irrespective of value. Clearance is now for the most part done remotely, the CBP release is an email. The days of the long form with stamps and signatures are a thing of the past. One DMV employee did not like the email release told be I could have just copied and pasted it.

Pulaski

Ah yes, the afternoon I spent driving around the CLT complex, from office to office, collecting documents and stamps before I could collect my shipment from the customs warehouse. I remember it well!

ottotheboar

The good thing about the old and long form with stamps was it satisfied even the most sceptical DMV employee.