Germany
USA trade laneGermany is the enthusiast's hunting ground: air-cooled Porsches, E30 and E28 BMWs, Mercedes youngtimers, and modern classics that European markets price differently than American ones. Importing a car from Germany is entirely doable — but US vehicle import law is unforgiving, and the difference between a legal import and an expensive lawn ornament is knowing the rules before you buy.
AGF ships enthusiast and collector vehicles from Germany regularly: purchase-to-port trucking, export formalities, protected ocean transport, and US customs entries filed under the correct EPA/DOT provisions.
Last reviewed:
Shipping Cars & Classic Vehicles from Germany to USA
Enthusiast cars ship in containers — sole-use 20ft for a single valuable car, or shared 40ft racking for cost efficiency. RORO is cheaper and fine for ordinary running vehicles, but collectors overwhelmingly choose containers for security and handling control. Transit from Bremerhaven/Hamburg to the US East Coast runs roughly 2–4 weeks on the water.
Condition documentation is part of the service: photo/video at pickup, at loading, and at destination devanning — so the car that left Stuttgart is provably the car that arrived.
- Container (sole or shared) for collector cars; RORO for ordinary runners
- Soft tie-down racking, battery and fuel protocols handled at loading
- Full photo documentation at every custody transfer
- Non-runners and project cars: winch loading arranged
What Drives the Cost
- Container mode (sole-use vs shared) vs RORO
- German inland transport from seller to port
- Duty: modern EU cars pay the negotiated all-in Section 232 rate for EU goods; classics 25+ years old fall outside it and pay the base rate plus the current surcharge on EU goods — verified at quoting
- Insurance at agreed value for collector vehicles
- US-side delivery: enclosed transport for high-value cars
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8703 | Passenger vehicles | Modern cars from the EU pay the negotiated all-in Section 232 rate for EU goods; classics 25+ years old fall outside Section 232 and pay the passenger-car base rate plus the current surcharge on EU goods — verify at quoting. Pickup-truck classifications carry the far higher 'chicken tax' base rate. Age and provisions also determine EPA/DOT treatment. |
Regulations and Compliance
The 25-year rule (EPA/DOT exemption)
Vehicles 25 years or older (by month of manufacture) may be imported without meeting US FMVSS standards, and 21+ years exempts EPA conformity. This is what makes German classics importable. Under 25 years, a non-US-market car generally cannot be imported permanently outside narrow programs — check the build date before you send a deposit.
EPA/DOT entry declarations
Every vehicle entry files EPA 3520-1 and DOT HS-7 declarations under the correct exemption codes. Errors here create seizure risk on an asset you already paid for — this is core AGF work.
State titling
After federal entry, state DMV processes vary for imported classics. Keep the full document trail (German registration, bill of sale, customs entry) — we hand you a complete package for titling.
Door-to-Door Import Service
From the seller's garage in Germany to your driveway: inland transport, export customs, protected container loading, ocean freight, US entry with correct EPA/DOT declarations, duty payment, and enclosed delivery to your door.
Buying at auction or from a private seller? We coordinate directly with the seller for pickup and paperwork — you never need to be in Germany.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import a car from Germany that's under 25 years old?
How much does it cost to ship a car from Germany to the USA?
Container or RORO for a classic car?
Cars & Classic 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.
Compare other origins for cars
Transit, duty exposure and container loads side by side in our cars import guide.
JDM & Classic Cars from Japan
Luxury & Classic Cars from Italy
Classic Cars from UK
China Office
DDC — Authorized Representative in Kazakhstan
Europe — Achot Baghdasarian