Car/Vehicle Shipping Cost from Hong Kong to St. Louis, Missouri

Import Tax and Duty Explained If you have lived in Hong Kong at least 12 months and owned the car at least 6 months of that period, there is zero tax and zero duty to pay. If the car is over ten years of age and you have not previously owned it then expect 10% duty on a current value for the car and 20% VAT.

Shipping a car from China to the US generally costs between $1,000 to over $3,000 for ocean freight, depending on the vessel (RORO vs. container) and destination port, with basic RORO rates starting around $2,500 from Shanghai to major US ports, but you must also budget for customs, insurance (0.3-0.5% of value), fuel surcharges (BAF), and handling fees, making the total significantly higher than just the base shipping cost.

Budget: The shorter the distance, the more cost-effective it is to drive instead of ship your car. Regardless of the total distance, look at your total moving budget and how much you can afford to spend on car shipping services compared to a cross-country drive.