International Car Shipping | Long Beach, California

What is the International Car Shipping | Long Beach, California?

Shipping a vehicle internationally from Long Beach is much easier than most other areas, mainly because the city is home to one of the largest shipping ports in the U.S. The Port of Long Beach is the busiest one in the U.S., outside of the nearby Port of Los Angeles, which is one of the busiest in the world. In this blog post, we’ll go over some of the details and important things to know when shipping a car overseas from Long Beach and surrounding areas.

Port of Long Beach - As mentioned above the port is one of the largest in the world, importing and exporting more than $100 billion in cargo annually. For shipping cargo in general, and containerized shipments in particular, the Port of Long Beach is a great option.

Why use a shipping container?

If you’ve never shipped a car before, you may be wondering why you would use a shipping container to do so. There are other methods available (such as RORO, or roll on, roll off), but there are two main reasons why customers choose containerized auto transport when going abroad. The first is that you can often fit two vehicles into a container, allowing the customer to effectively “split” the cost of shipment with another party.

The second reasons is that it’s convenient if you’re moving to another country. Unlike other methods of auto transport, containerized shipping allows you to put other items in the container with the vehicle. This means if you’re making a permanent or temporary move that it’s a much more convenient and cost-effective approach.

What To Know About International Auto Transport

Shipping a car within the U.S. is a relatively straightforward process, but shipment to another country can involve quite a few more hurdles, depending on the country. The main issue you’ll face with international auto shipping is that each country will have its own set of guidelines, laws, taxes, and regulations when it comes to what imports are allowed there.

Naturally, many of these are similar, especially in countries in the same part of the world, but there is some variance and it can be significant. To give you an idea, some countries may charge a value added tax or VAT of 10%, while another could impose a tax of 40%. This number is based on the value of the vehicle, so you can see how that quickly adds up to a significant cost that goes beyond what you pay just for the shipping aspect.

In order to make sure you have a good understanding of what’s involved when shipping overseas, you should seek out a company that has the requisite experience and a solid track record. Ideally, you should contact a few companies before deciding on one, with an eye towards those companies that either specialize in international shipping or have ample experience in providing the service.

Call us at the number at the top of the page with your questions about shipping a vehicle to or from Long Beach! Our international auto transport experts are happy to answer your questions and we provide FREE cost estimates to all parties, 100% of the time! No payment or obligation required!