UK
USA trade laneBritain is where American collectors find the cars that were never sold here or were sold in other specifications: right-hand-drive Jaguar E-Types and XJs, Land Rover Defenders and Series models, classic Minis, MGs, Triumphs and Austin-Healeys, Aston Martins, Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, and the British-market versions of cars that later came to the US. Any car built at least 25 years ago, counted to the month of manufacture, can be imported permanently without meeting US safety standards, and every month another set of British cars crosses that line. What decides whether an import goes smoothly is paperwork on both sides of the Atlantic: a provable build date, the right DOT and EPA declarations, the UK logbook handled correctly, and the correct tariff line.
AGF has no office in the UK. Our Europe Representative covers the UK, and our WCA partner agents there collect the car from the seller, dealer or auction house, file the UK export declaration and deliver it to the container or RoRo terminal. AGF books the freight as an FMC-licensed NVOCC and runs the US end from Glendale, California: the ISF, the entry with its DOT HS-7 and EPA 3520-1 filed by our licensed customs brokers, and enclosed or open delivery to your door in any state, with the documents your DMV will ask for.
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Shipping Classic Cars from UK to USA
Most collector cars cross in containers: a sole-use 20ft for one valuable car, or a shared 40ft with racking, typically three or four cars, to split the cost. Containers leave Felixstowe, Southampton, London Gateway or Liverpool and reach New York and the US East Coast in roughly 10–20 days port to port; Los Angeles/Long Beach, through the Panama Canal or by transshipment, takes roughly five to seven weeks, so for a California delivery we also price East Coast discharge plus an enclosed truck. RoRo car carriers sail from Southampton to Baltimore and other East and Gulf Coast vehicle ports in roughly two to three weeks, and some rotations reach Port Hueneme in Southern California. RoRo costs less, but the car must run, travel empty and be driven by terminal staff, which is why most owners of valuable classics choose a container.
Preparation in the UK matters as much as the sailing. The underbody and wheel arches are washed before loading, because USDA refuses vehicles carrying soil and a dirty car is held for cleaning at the importer's cost. In a container the car travels with the fuel tank near empty and the battery disconnected, strapped by the wheels rather than the suspension. Condition is photographed at collection, loading and devanning, and the ISF is filed at least 24 hours before a container is loaded.
- Sole-use 20ft for one valuable car; shared 40ft, typically three or four cars
- RoRo from Southampton to Baltimore and other East Coast ports for running cars
- Underbody washed in the UK — USDA refuses vehicles carrying soil
- Photos at collection, loading and devanning; enclosed truck delivery to any state
- Non-runners and project cars: container only, winch-loaded
What Drives the Cost
- Duty: a classic built 25 or more calendar years before the year of entry sits outside Section 232 and pays the ordinary duty for its tariff line plus the Section 301 layer on UK goods; a newer, US-certified UK-built car comes under the Section 232 terms of the US–UK deal — confirmed for your car at quoting
- Container or RoRo, sole-use or shared, and the UK port the car sails from
- Collection in the UK by enclosed transport, and where in the US the car lands and goes next
- UK VAT on the purchase: a VAT-registered dealer can often sell the car to an overseas buyer without UK VAT if it holds proof of export, which our partner's documents provide — ask before you agree the price
- Agreed-value marine insurance, which rises with the value of the car
- Registration work in your state, and storage if papers are not ready when the car arrives
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8703.21–8703.24 / 8703.31–8703.33 | Passenger cars by engine type and size — E-Types, Minis, MGs, Aston Martins, Rolls-Royces, Land Rover station wagons | Ordinary duty depends on the 10-digit line, plus the Section 301 layer on UK goods, which is added on top. Origin is where the car was built: a German car bought in London takes the EU treatment. Confirmed at quoting. |
| 9903.94.04 | Section 232 exclusion for cars and light trucks manufactured in a year at least 25 years before the year of entry | Entered with the 8703 or 8704 line for a qualifying classic. It counts calendar years, while the DOT rule counts to the month, so any car old enough for DOT is also outside Section 232. It does not lift the UK Section 301 layer. |
| 8704.21 / 8704.31 | Goods vehicles — Land Rover pickups, high-capacity pickups and vans, and some utility versions with a cargo bed | Light trucks carry a far higher ordinary duty than cars (the 'chicken tax'), whatever their age, and the UK layer applies on top. Classification turns on the vehicle's design, so our brokers rule on a Defender pickup or van before you buy. |
| 9705.10 | Collectors' pieces of historical interest | Duty-free and outside the Section 301 layer, but only for a car with documented historical significance — a famous owner or a role in a historic event. CBP decides case by case and has refused rare but otherwise ordinary cars, so never price an import on this line without a ruling. |
| 8711 | Motorcycles — Triumph, BSA, Norton, Vincent, Royal Enfield | The DOT 25-year logic applies to non-US-model motorcycles too; the UK layer applies, and duty and EPA treatment are confirmed per bike at quoting. |
| 8708 | Spare parts, engines and wheels shipped with the car | Declared separately from the car. Listed auto parts can fall under the Section 232 auto-parts tariff, so spares are classified line by line at quoting. |
Regulations and Compliance
The 25-year rule, counted to the month
A car not built to US safety standards can be imported permanently once it is at least 25 years old, counted to the month of manufacture, and declared on the DOT HS-7 under box 1. EPA admits it on form 3520-1 under code E when it is at least 21 years old and in original configuration, so an engine swap or modern fuel injection can cost the EPA exemption. A younger British car can come in only if it was built to US specification, or — for a handful of rare models — under NHTSA's Show or Display exemption, which needs approval of the model and of the individual car, limits on-road use, and leaves EPA requirements in place.
Prove the build date before you pay
The UK logbook (V5C) shows the date of first registration, not the month the car was built, and a car registered late or re-registered can look older or younger than it is. CBP can ask for proof, and a car that arrives a month early can be refused entry. The strongest evidence is a heritage certificate from the factory records — the British Motor Museum covers BMC and British Leyland marques and older Aston Martins, and the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust covers Jaguar and Daimler — or a dated build plate that matches the chassis number.
Section 232, the UK layer and the collectors' line
Cars manufactured in a year at least 25 years before the year of entry are excluded from the Section 232 auto tariff, so the UK's quota arrangement for new British cars does not apply to them. They do pay the Section 301 layer that UK goods have carried since 24 July 2026, on top of the ordinary duty for their line. A car accepted by CBP as a collectors' piece of historical interest under heading 9705 is duty-free and exempt from that layer, but the test is strict and decided case by case. We confirm the position against your car's build date and history at quoting.
UK paperwork: the V5C and DVLA
When you buy a car to take abroad, the seller must give you the full V5C logbook, not just the new keeper slip. The permanent export section is completed and sent to DVLA, and the rest of the V5C stays with the car: with the bill of sale and the CBP-stamped entry summary, it is what your DMV titles the car from, so the original travels with it. Our partner files the UK export declaration in HMRC's Customs Declaration Service under the exporter's GB EORI number.
UK export licence for older, valuable cars
Cultural goods more than 50 years old can need an individual export licence from Arts Council England when their value is above the limit in the open general licence. A valuable classic more than 50 years old can fall into that net, the licence takes time, and an object of national importance can be referred for review. Check the current threshold for your car with Arts Council England before the sale is agreed, and allow for the licence in the timetable.
Right-hand drive, state registration and California
Federal law does not prohibit right-hand drive, and states generally register RHD classics, subject to their own inspection rules. California is the exception to plan around: the DMV refers direct imports of the 1968 model year and later that were not built to US emission standards to CARB, which usually means laboratory testing and modification before registration, and some cars cannot be converted at all. Older cars avoid that step. We never promise California street legality — confirm the path for your exact car with CARB and the DMV before you buy.
Door-to-Door Import Service
Before you buy, send us the listing and the chassis number: we check the build-date evidence, DOT and EPA eligibility and the tariff line, and quote the freight and duty for that car, flagging any UK export licence question.
Once you have bought, the seller hands over the full V5C and bill of sale, the permanent export section goes to DVLA, and a UK dealer prepares a VAT-free export invoice where it applies.
Our WCA partner agent in the UK collects the car by enclosed transport, washes the underbody, photographs it and files the export declaration in HMRC's Customs Declaration Service.
The car is loaded into a sole-use or shared container at Felixstowe, Southampton, London Gateway or Liverpool — we file the ISF at least 24 hours before loading — or delivered to the RoRo terminal at Southampton.
On arrival in New York/New Jersey, Baltimore, Norfolk, Savannah or Los Angeles/Long Beach, our licensed customs brokers file the entry with the HS-7 and EPA 3520-1 and you pay the duty.
The car is devanned at a partner facility, checked against the loading photos and trucked enclosed or open to your door in any state, with the stamped entry summary, HS-7, 3520-1, V5C, bill of sale and bill of lading for your DMV.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I import a classic car from the UK to the USA?
How much does it cost to import a car from the UK to the USA?
Is there a tariff on classic cars imported from the UK?
Can I register a right-hand-drive British car in the US?
Do I need an export licence to take a classic car out of the UK?
Should I ship my classic car from the UK by container or RoRo?
Classic Cars 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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