Long Beach Freight Forwarders & Logistics Companies

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 in the U.S. outside of the nearby Port of Los Angeles, one of the busiest in the world. In this blog post, we’ll review some of the details and important things to know when shipping a car overseas from Long Beach and the 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. The Port of Long Beach is an excellent option for shipping cargo in general and containerized shipments in particular.

Why use a shipping container?

You may wonder why you would use a shipping container if you've never shipped a car. Other methods are available (such as RORO, or roll on, roll off), but there are two main reasons customers choose containerized auto transport when going abroad. First, you can often fit two vehicles into a container, allowing the customer to effectively “split” the shipment cost with another party.

The second reason is that it’s convenient if you’re moving to another country. Unlike other auto transport methods, containerized shipping allows you to put different items in the container with the vehicle. If you’re making a permanent or temporary move, 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 relatively straightforward, but shipment to another country can involve several more hurdles, depending on the country. The main issue with international auto shipping is that each country will have its guidelines, laws, taxes, and regulations regarding what imports are allowed.

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 vehicle's value, so you can see how that quickly adds up to a significant cost beyond what you pay for shipping.

To ensure you understand what’s involved when shipping overseas, you should seek a long beach shippers with the requisite experience and a solid track record. Ideally, you should contact a few logistics companies before deciding on one, with an eye towards those companies that specialize in international shipping or have ample experience in providing the service or Car Service in Long Beach, CA.

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 is required!