Car/Vehicle Shipping Cost from China to California

Chinese cars are cheap due to a mix of massive government subsidies, an integrated supply chain with low material/labor costs, huge domestic demand creating economies of scale, fierce market competition, and innovative, cost-cutting manufacturing techniques, especially in the booming EV sector, allowing huge production volumes and lower R&D per unit.

Driving costs include food, lodging, and fuel for one person. Like we said earlier, the cost to ship a car is almost always higher than the cost of driving that car the same distance. Even when you factor in additional costs like hotels, gas, and food, driving is still cheaper.

Taxes & Duties for Importing Cars to the United States Generally, foreign-made vehicles imported for personal use or sale are dutiable at the following rates: Auto: 2.5% Trucks: 25% Motorcycles: free or 2.4%