Shipping Cars From The U.S. To The UK

In 2020, the UK took the seventh position in the U.S. largest goods trading partners list. The most convenient and cheapest method of delivery from the Land of Liberty is via shipping. It goes without saying that the geographical aspect is the primary reason why the majority of all trading processes between the U.S. and Great Britain are carried out by the ocean. The same concerns international car sales.

It is interesting that, in general, automobiles account for 10% of all U.S. exported commodities. From all the above-mentioned, we could suggest that obtaining a car in the United States is a great idea, and with EasyHaul, you can realize it. Our company is a top-rated American carrier and is a certified NVOCC expert in the automobile transportation market. Look at what EasyHaul could offer you and experience all the advantages!

If you are interested in freighting a vehicle to the United Kingdom, in the next few sections we’ll go over some key points that have to be considered.

Something To Know Before Shipping A Car To The UK

We decided to provide a list of essential steps for sending an automobile to Great Britain:

• check all the available car papers and find out all the details concerning the policy of mutual recognition;

☝️ Bear in mind that the auto category was not included in the UK-USA Mutual Recognition Agreement, which entered into force on January 1, 2021. To have your automobile in Great Britain, you must complete all the governmental requirements.

• verify if your car satisfies all the UK criteria, especially the emission specifications. For that purpose, we recommend using the free VIN decoder;
• calculate the shipping price. It consists of wharf, freight, insurance, and storage charges; taxes, duties, and other fees;
• choose a global auto shipping company. Pay close attention to the delivery option that meets your needs and desires;
• select the appropriate departure and destination points.

Also, use a pre-shipment VIN number search to save you time and avoid bureaucratic issues.

Car buyers from the United Kingdom may experience a few obstacles during the shipping process. To keep away from this, check out your future vehicle usage conditions, such as where it will be registered and whether it is a short-term transfer to the UK. Some automobiles may have different qualifying criteria. These and other inquiries will affect the freight process. It is better to find out the details about it at UK Customs because the import rules and conditions may change.

The Registration Process 

You must declare the vehicle to customs after it arrives in the UK. For this, you will need a purchase invoice and an original registration certificate (for the cars that have already been registered). Also, it is necessary to possess additional documents such as a certificate of origin, dock receipt, and transport bill of lading.

🙋 Considering the legal basis, all the lawful aspects are regulated by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. If you have any specific questions, you can look over the document.

It should not be problematic to register your vehicle from the U.S. in the United Kingdom if you have the needed documents. It is reported that the process takes a few hours.

How Much Would It Cost?

Expect that your spending on a 3,306lb (1.5 t) car transfer in a separate container from the U.S. to Great Britain would start at nearly $6,000. The voyage usually takes two to four weeks. By the way, if we have a look at the World Container Index on the 2nd of June 2022, we will notice that the average cost of a 40-foot container is $7,648.

The price for shipping a vehicle to the UK might vary depending on criteria such as the closest departing terminal in the United States, the chosen delivery method option, the type of your car, and the point of destination. You must also consider the price of warehousing, pre-shipping services, and fees when delivering automobiles via maritime transport.

According to the EasyHaul platform, the sea freight cost of a 3,306lb 2010 Ford Focus in a shared 40-foot container from Charleston, SC, to Southampton, Great Britain, will cost $2,513, and from Norfolk, VA, to Southampton, UK, the value is $2,747. You can get acquainted with the approximate shipping cost estimates that are provided here:

We would recommend you export from the east coast of the U.S. where congestion is lighter, for example, Savannah, Norfolk, or Wilmington in the U.S. At the same time, if we look at the car delivery cost from the western part of the United States (for example, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc.), the price rises two-three times.

Keep in mind some standard fees and taxes imposed by the British government. For a sedan, it will amount to 10% of import duty and 20% of VAT. It’s also crucial to know that freight charges fluctuate seasonally throughout the year. The shipping charges are often higher in the winter season than during the rest of the year.

How Long Would It Take? 

It is needed for nearly 15 to 30 days for port-to-port delivery from the U.S. to the UK. For example, using the Vessel Finder platform, we discovered that a container ship’s voyage with a departure point in Portsmouth, US, and a delivery point in Avonmouth, Great Britain, takes 16 days (in our case, from May 8 to May 24, 2022).

At the same time, it is reported that delays would last approximately 25–30 days. It’s because of COVID-19, logistic chain disruptions, a shortage of containers, delays at the ports, and oil prices rising. Although production has returned to normal, the impact of the external factors is still causing additional shipping issues.

Ship Your Car with EasyHaul Services

You can rely on us during your car shipping from the United States to Great Britain. We support every client throughout the entire process. To get started, just register here, submit a copy of your government-issued ID, and provide your mobile number. Then you can order EasyHaul services, particularly freighting your vehicle from the U.S. to the UK, and track your vessel through our real-time interactive system. Feel free to contact us or call +1 (360) 776-3596 (6:00 AM – 4:00 PM PST, Monday to Friday) to get assistance. We are ready to help!