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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Importing From USA

I am considering importing some car parts from the USA, and not having done it before, am wondering what the formalities are in respect of import duty and VAT.

For example do the goods get delivered to my designated address, and I seperately receive a bill for the relevent duties in respect of the declared value of goods, or is it more complicated.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience of importing by way of freight.

Kevin Jackson.
Kevin Jackson

I have shipped parts to the UK. Our USPS Customs Form has line items for description and value. It is my *guess* that the folks on your end assign VAT, etc based on information provided by the shipper.

FWIW...I am *not* an expert in this field.

rick ingram
Pieces of Eight!
rick ingram

i have shipped many parts and cars both ways, depends alot of size, frequency, costs, timetable, etc. if you want to send me a pm i would be glad to tell you what i know, jim
james madson

It depends on how the goods are shipped, and the terms of the trade. I would assume something like DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) whereby the supplier will arrange for delivery to your door, but leave payment of the duty to your account rather than theirs. depending on the relationship the supplier has with the freight company this can work two ways.

Either the freight company will clear the goods through customs themselves, paying the duties and taxes for you, and then billing you afterwards, or the more likely way is that the freight company will ask you to pay the duties to them for payment to customs. It would be best to contact your supplier to see what they normally do.
dave

If you can get them shipped via the U.S.postal service (USA GPO)this is cheaper than UPS or whatever, who hit you with a bill for customs etc after the bits arrive
dk lowe

Thanks for the responses guys, I think I will check out with the intended supplier first,they should be back at work tomorrow, and see what they normally do, and take it from there.

Kevin Jackson.
Kevin Jackson

I bought some K&N air filters from a US performance parts retailer. They were sent on a DDU basis via the US postal service and at this end Parcel Force. I had to go to the local Parcel Force depot to collect them and pay the VAT plus Parcel Forces fee for acting as my customs clearance agent. The fee was a little over 5 if I remember correctly.

As the US is so much bigger than the UK fewer businesses will have experiance of shipping internationally. So be careful to pick one who knows the ropes.
David Witham

David,

That sounds reasonably simple, did you save much by buying the K+N kit direct from the states. I am interested in either the extreme top 14" filter or the plenum with remote filter which is similar to the EFI set up to fit my Edelbrock/Weber 500 and was quoted suprising prices by a UK K+N stockist.

Kevin.
Kevin Jackson

Kevin,

The add on costs such as shipping, duty/VAT and handling charge soaked up the saving.

The main reason for doing it was that in the UK K&N filters for the B are sold as a kit that replaces the original filter cans and the US supplier was selling the filters as a substitute for the originals that would go inside the filter cans. This was of interest to me at the time. I think if I had done some more reaserch at the time I might have found that you could do the same with the kits sold over here.

David
David Witham

This thread was discussed between 29/12/2005 and 05/01/2006

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