Car/Vehicle Shipping Cost from North Dakota to Shanghai

Driving is usually cheaper for shorter distances, but for long cross-country moves, the cost difference shrinks, and shipping can become comparable or even cheaper once you factor in gas, lodging, food, wear-and-tear, and your time, making the decision depend on distance, vehicle, your schedule, and budget. Driving saves money on carrier fees but adds wear on your car, while shipping costs more upfront but saves time, fuel, and stress.

The cheapest international car shipping method is usually Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO), where your car is driven onto a specialized ship, costing less than containers but offering less protection; for more security with shared costs, consider a shared container (consolidation), while air freight is the most expensive but fastest, and platforms like uShip or Shiply help find competitive quotes from reliable carriers.

Eligibility to import a car into China Only holders of “Z” visas – permanent residence cards, can import a vehicle. Only legal residents are allowed to import a car. Among them, only those who have “foreign expert status” which is provided by the PSB (Public Security Bureau) and the visa departments can import a car.