Shipping

[Bill Bayard]

For those looking to ship a car from overseas to the States, John Clarke,
(310)671-7990, is the customs broker for the job.
Although I was using another company, he was extremely helpful in getting me pointed in the right direction.
According to John , cars should be shipped as chassis, not parts. The customs tariff
reference number(HTS) that applies to chassis importation is: 8707100020. With this number, any broker should be able to handle the job with ease.
John gave me this information without a second thought, whereas others seemed to think it was some sort of trade secret.
John and his brother Jim have handled the
RF cars, as well as many others. Their
experience and kind attitude make them #1 in my book.
Nice to be able to put a positive note on
this consumer watch forum, as it's not
usually a kind word that you read here.

Bill

 

[Guest]

Hey Bill

For those of us in USA thinking of importing a kit,what duties and fees can we expect to pay? How are they calculated?

Thx

MikeD

 

[Bill Bayard]

Mike,

I believe that the duty would be the same for a kit as it is for a chassis (2.5%) You would also have to pay a one time customs bond. The cost of bonding can vary from one company to another, but is generally $40-45
per $1000 of value.

Bill

 

[Guest]

Thanks Bill

What do you mean by "one time" customs bond?
I assumed each time you import something you had to pay a broker's fee?

MikeD

 

[Bill Bayard]

Mike,

The first time you import something great

in value, i.e., a car, you are required to

pay a customs bond. Only the customs duty

and broker's fee must be must be paid each

and every time you import a car. The duty

and bond are two separate things. The second

time you import a GT40, if you are that

fortunate, will be considerably less

expensive.

Bill

[ February 20, 2002: Message edited by: Bill Bayard ]

 

[Guest]

Is the Broker's fee based on the import value? Or a flat fee per transaction?
What should I expect to pay?

Thx

MikeD

 

[Bill Bayard]

Mike,

My costs were as follows:

Customs Duty: $1125 (2.5% of value)

Customs Bond: $1840 ($40 per $1000 of value)

Broker's fee: $125

Airport fee: $15

Total: $3105.00 Importation fees

From Gold Coast,Australia to Sydney by

truck, air freight to San Francisco, then

air to Washington, D.C.,

then truck to Baltimore, Maryland

$5015.00 Freight charges

$8120.00 Total

If the government didn't have to get

involved, it wouldn't have been too painful.


Bill

 

[Guest]

Bill

Thanks for the info. This leads me to believe
there would be a significant savings by importing a basic kit first, since the
4% customs bond only applies to the first
import.

Of course each additional shipment
would have it's own freight costs,
but if one is doing a project over time,
the additional parts would have come seperately anyway.

MikeD

 

[Guest]

I first worked with Jonh Clarke about 6 years ago when he helped me get a 289 slab side street Cobra into the states from England. I then used him again when I brought the first Roaring Forties kit into the states. Importing a kit can be confusing but with John there is nothing to even think about. The costs were not much at all and all I had to do was pick it up at the airport ten miles away. If you are worried about the complexity of importing a kit, don't be. Just give John a call and let him deal with it.

 

[Alain Vanhollebeke]

Thanks alot for the info on this thread, as I think I am about ready to order a car from New Zealand.

Where is John Clarke located & what's the biz name?

I guess I should contact him first before ordering my kit?

 

[Hershal Byrd]

Hey Alain,
Here is a thread that has all of John Clarks contact info.
I hope you get a GT. I like the NZ car a lot.
It should be a good kit for the money. http://www.gt40s.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000751

Hersh

 

[Alain Vanhollebeke]

Thanks Hersh,,,,, I'm about 90 percent there.
Just need to check on a few more details (like if I'll "fit" in one) and I should be ready to order pretty soon.

Seeing the original yellow/black car on the "gallery" page of the NZ site is what "did me in".
I have that car's photo etched into my brain now, and won't be able to sleep until I have one!