Car/Vehicle Shipping Cost from Panama City to Shanghai

Ocean freight from Shanghai to the USA takes 15 to 40 days (port-to-port), depending on the type of load (FCL or LCL) and the port of arrival – West Coast is generally faster to reach from China than East Coast ports. Air freight is much faster, with expedited options ranging from 1 to 3 days.

The cheapest way to ship a car internationally is generally Roll-on/Roll-off (RORO), where cars drive onto and off the ship, costing around $900-$2,500+ depending on destination, as it avoids packaging and crane costs. For more protection, Shared Container shipping (grouping cars) is the next cheapest, while booking through platforms like Shiply or using companies with price matching, like SGT Auto Transport or Sherpa, can also find competitive rates.

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.