USA
Europe trade laneEuropean buyers have always wanted what America builds differently: muscle cars and hot rods, full-size pickups and SUVs, and modern classics that were never sold in Europe. Since 1 July 2026 the EU charges no import duty on cars of US origin, under Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, which makes the trade simpler — but not free. Import VAT is still due, most countries make an imported American car pass an individual approval before it can be registered, and some charge a registration tax that can be larger than the freight.
AGF handles the US end ourselves from Glendale, close to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach: pickup from the seller, dealer or auction, the title presented to CBP, the export filing, and RoRo or container loading with photographs. In Europe we work through WCA partner agents in the destination country — AGF has no office in Europe — who clear the car and hand you the documents the registration office will ask for.
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Shipping Vehicles from USA to Europe
Two ways to ship. RoRo — the car is driven aboard a car carrier — is economical for running vehicles and sails from East Coast ports such as Baltimore and New York/New Jersey to Bremerhaven, Antwerp and Zeebrugge; nothing may be left inside the car. Container — a sole-use 20ft for one valuable car, or a shared 40ft with three or four cars on racking — gives better protection, takes non-running cars, and sails from every major US port, including Los Angeles/Long Beach, to Bremerhaven, Rotterdam or Antwerp. Most collectors choose a container.
Electric and hybrid cars ship as declared dangerous goods — battery-powered vehicles under UN 3171 — and carriers set their own acceptance and state-of-charge rules, so we confirm before booking. Every car is photographed at pickup and at loading, and the transit is confirmed per booking; from the West Coast, containers sail through the Panama Canal or move by rail to an East Coast port.
- RoRo from the East Coast for running cars; nothing inside the vehicle
- Sole-use 20ft or shared 40ft (three or four cars on racking) from any major port
- Electric and hybrid cars declared as dangerous goods, subject to carrier acceptance
- Photo documentation at pickup and loading; pickup from sellers, dealers and auctions
What Drives the Cost
- RoRo versus container, and how many cars share the container
- Trucking from the seller or auction to the export port
- Where the car was built — US-built cars pay no EU duty, others pay the EU's standard car duty
- Import VAT at the destination country's rate, or a reduced rate where a qualifying classic is taxed as a collectors' item
- Individual approval and any modifications, such as lighting, needed for registration
- National registration taxes, which for large-engined cars can exceed the freight
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Codes are confirmed with the licensed customs representative at destination before you ship.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8703 | Passenger cars | Zero EU duty since 1 July 2026 if the car is of US origin — built in the USA — and shipped directly. A car built elsewhere and bought in the USA is assessed on its own origin at the EU's standard car duty. |
| 8704 | Pickup trucks and other goods vehicles | US-built pickups fall under the same zero-duty regulation; non-US-built goods vehicles carry the EU's goods-vehicle duty. Classification also affects registration and taxation in some countries. |
| 9705 | Collectors' pieces — vehicles of historical interest | A car generally 30 or more years old, in original condition and of historical interest can classify as a collectors' item rather than a car, which several countries tax at a reduced import VAT rate. The partner agent confirms whether a specific car qualifies. |
Regulations and Compliance
US export: the title to CBP 72 hours before export
Every vehicle exported from the US must be presented to CBP with its original title, or an acceptable substitute, at least 72 hours before export. The title must be free of liens or accompanied by the lien holder's authorization. Missed title formalities are the most common cause of a missed sailing, so we manage the CBP submission at the export port.
EEI for every used vehicle
Electronic Export Information is filed in AES for every used vehicle, whatever its value — the $2,500 threshold that exempts other low-value exports does not apply. We file it on every shipment, and every shipment is screened against US sanctions and export-control lists before booking.
EU duty: zero for US-built cars
Since 1 July 2026, Regulation (EU) 2026/1455 has removed EU import duty on US industrial goods, vehicles included, until the end of 2029. It applies to goods of US origin, decided by where the car was built rather than its brand: a BMW SUV from Spartanburg or a Mercedes-Benz SUV from Alabama is US-built, while a Japanese or European model bought in the USA is not. The car must be shipped directly or stay under customs supervision in transit, and the EU can suspend the regulation, so the treatment is confirmed for each car at quoting.
Import VAT and collectors' cars
Import VAT is charged on the value of the car, freight and any duty, at the rate of the country where it is cleared — 20% in France and 22% in Italy, for example. Vehicles of historical interest that qualify as collectors' items are taxed at a reduced rate in several countries; France applies 5.5%. Whether a car qualifies depends on its age, originality and history, and the partner agent confirms it before clearance.
Registration and individual approval
A car built to US specifications has no European type approval, so it is usually registered through a national individual approval: in Germany an inspection by a testing organisation such as TÜV or DEKRA, with historic "H" plates available for qualifying cars 30 years or older; in France the réception à titre isolé (RTI); in the Netherlands an RDW inspection. Lighting changes, such as amber rear indicators, are common. Some countries add a registration tax — France's CO2 malus, the Dutch BPM — that can outweigh the freight and VAT for a large engine. Price the destination end before you buy.
Door-to-Door Shipping Service
Send us the car's location and the destination. We arrange pickup from the seller, dealer or auction, present the title to CBP, file the EEI, and load the car by RoRo or into a container with photographs at each step.
Our WCA partner agent in the destination country clears the car, applies the zero US-origin duty where it qualifies, accounts for import VAT and releases the car with the customs documents the registration office needs. Approval, any modifications and registration are then arranged locally, and we can introduce you to the partner agent before you buy so the destination costs are known up front.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to ship a car from the USA to Europe?
Do I pay import duty on an American car in Europe?
Can I register an American car in Germany or France?
RoRo or container for shipping a car to Europe?
Vehicles is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
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