Ship Car To Asia

Ship Your Vehicle To or From Asia

Typical Shipping Prices – How Much Does It Cost?

• Ocean freight car shipping to Asia costs $2,500–$6,500, with West Coast departures from Los Angeles or San Francisco running significantly lower than East Coast routes.
• Transit by sea takes 25–45 days depending on destination; East Asian ports like Japan and South Korea are faster, while Southeast Asian and landlocked Central Asian routes take longest.
• Required export documents include a customs declaration, emissions inspection certificate, registration, proof of insurance, and customs clearance — with Federal Maritime Commission oversight on all U.S. vessel exports.

Shipping/exporting your car to Asia from the United States is certainly a long journey, especially if you don't live on the West Coast. But, it doesn't have to be as complicated as you would think, especially if you follow these guidelines and let a trusted company like A-1 Auto Transport handle the hauling process for you.

Relocating Method

It would simply not be practical to ship/import your car to Europe and then have it driven to Asia. You would need to have it imported by ship to the region. Keep in mind that from the West Coast of the United States, this would be a much easier process. If you happen to live on the East Coast, for example, you would have your car transported to a port on the West Coast, such as in San Francisco or Los Angeles.

With that in mind, the two main hauling methods to send it to Asia are:

• Roll-On, Roll-Off: Due to its low cost and ease of using this is the most popular option for transporting automobiles to Asia. Your vehicle will be rolled up a ramp and unloaded at its final destination in this fashion. Your vehicle will be safely attached to the relocator using a variety of security straps. For the sake of vehicle stability during the long trip to Asia this is crucial.
• Cargo Shipping: it is a more expensive option, but it is also an extremely safe way to get your vehicle to Asia. There are a few advantages that cargo shipping can offer that roll-on, roll-off shifting can't. The first advantage is the fact that a person will be able to relocate their personal possessions at the same time as their car since they will have their own relocating container. For someone who is planning on living in Asia for awhile, this will be extremely convenient. The second advantage is that, since there are more cargo haul than ships that do roll-on, roll-off, you're much more likely to be able to ship your vehicle with this option to parts of Asia that are quite remote, such as parts of Southeast Asia.

Of course, if you do decide to place personal items in the shifting container, you will need to let the customs officials know the exact items that are being placed inside, as well as their value. Not doing so can result in heavy fines.

The Destination Makes a Big Difference

It can be pretty straightforward if you're relocating your car to a country in Asia like Japan or South Korea from a logistical standpoint. However, if you're shipping your car to a landlocked country in Asia such as Mongolia, you'll find that it'll be a much more difficult process. Not only is English not as widely spoken in some countries like Mongolia, but you'll have to have your vehicle transported through different countries, as it first has to arrive at a country with a port. You'll need to hire a company that is extremely familiar with all of the different customs regulations in each of the countries and can help you to have your vehicle delivered to your final destination in a timely manner.

Required Documents For Hauling

1. Customs declaration
2. Emissions inspection
3. Registration documents
4. Customs clearance certificate
5. Proof of insurance
6. Parking space certificate (some countries only)

The Challenges of Central Asia

In order to reach the countries that comprise Central Asia, which are Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, your vehicle will have to go through difficult cargo transfers, as well as cross multiple borders. However, exacerbating the issue is that these countries do very little in the way of exports, meaning that the containers will often have to be bought by the person who is hauling his or her vehicle. This also means that the Roll-On, Roll-Off option is not available.

As a result, people who choose to ship their vehicle to Central Asia will often be responsible for purchasing their own relocating containers. There are options available for either selling the container to a third party once it reaches its destination or selling it for scrap metal.

Arriving At Its Destination

Once it arrives at its port in Asia, your container that contains your car will either directly be placed on a railway or the container will be opened, in which case your actual car will be placed on the railway wagon.

The second option is much cheaper and is faster, but comes with the added risk of car damage or even theft occurring if you place personal items in the container. That's why you need a trusted company like us to make sure that your car and your personal belongings are handled with the utmost care.

If your car is being delivered to a country in Southeast Asia, it may have to be placed on multiple ferries and ships before it reaches the final city.

If it's being relocated to a landlocked country in Asia, it's recommended that the car is hauled to China first. Two of the main ports in China are:

• Qingdao
• Lianyungang

Once it's placed on the railway, it will head to either Khorgas or Alas Hankou in Western China, where it will have to be taken off the train and placed on another one, as the rails in Central Asia differ from the ones in China.

Planning is Key

Because of how big Asia is, it's important to plan the shifting route carefully in order to find the cheapest and fastest way. The customs, VATs, and other regulations in each of the countries differ considerably, so you will need a company that is skilled in navigating everything. Furthermore, English isn't always widely spoken by some of the customs officials, so that's another thing to consider.

It's strongly recommended that you obtain comprehensive insurance before you decide to relocate to Asia.

The Federal Maritime Commissions website offers many useful tips at http://www.fmc.gov/resources/shipping_your_vehicle_overseas.aspx.

Let us handle shipping your car to Asia and make a complicated task seem simple!