Car Shipping from UK to USA & Canada — RoRo & Container

The United States operates a 25-year rule on imported vehicles: any car 25 years old or older is exempt from EPA emissions and DOT/FMVSS safety standards. Anything younger than 25 years must either be on the EPA / DOT approved list (most are not, especially European-spec) or be imported under the very narrow Show or Display exemption (around 50 historically significant models).

Canada is more permissive — vehicles 15 years old or older are exempt from RIV (Registrar of Imported Vehicles) compliance. Cars 15+ years can be imported and registered provincially without major federal compliance hurdles. Younger vehicles must appear on Transport Canada's admissibility list, which is much shorter than the equivalent US list.

East Coast routings are the fastest and cheapest. Direct RoRo Liverpool → Baltimore is 10–12 days. Felixstowe → New York/Newark is similar. Charleston and Jacksonville are good options for shipments heading to the South-East.

West Coast routings (Long Beach, Oakland) take much longer — 25–35 days via the Panama Canal. For cars destined to California, Arizona or Nevada, factor in CARB (California Air Resources Board) compliance, which is stricter than federal EPA.

Halifax (Nova Scotia) is the main RoRo and container gateway on the East Coast — 10–14 days from Liverpool. Montreal handles container traffic for Quebec and Ontario buyers. Vancouver is the West Coast option, 25–32 days via the Panama Canal.

Canadian clearance is generally faster than US clearance, and the 15-year rule makes vehicle import more accessible. RIV-exempt vehicles (15+ years) can usually be registered provincially within 2–3 weeks of arrival.

For the USA you need the V5C, passport, bill of lading, EPA Form 3520-1 and DOT Form HS-7. For vehicles 25+ years old you tick the exemption box; younger vehicles must show compliance evidence. CBP (Customs and Border Protection) handles entry; expect 2.5% import duty for cars, 25% for light trucks (the famous 'chicken tax').

For Canada you need the V5C, passport, bill of lading, Form 1 (RIV) for vehicles under 15 years, and recall clearance from the manufacturer. CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) handles entry; expect 6.1% duty + 5% GST (plus provincial sales tax on registration). Vehicles from the UK qualify for preferential tariff treatment under CETA — usually 0% duty — provided correct origin documentation is supplied.

UK → US East Coast (Baltimore, New York, Charleston): 10–14 days direct, 14–18 days transhipped. UK → US Gulf Coast (Houston, New Orleans): 14–20 days. UK → US West Coast (Long Beach, Oakland): 25–32 days via Panama Canal.

UK → Halifax: 10–14 days. UK → Montreal: 12–16 days. UK → Vancouver: 28–35 days. Allow a further 3–7 days for customs and release at all destinations.

If you are buying specifically to export, focus on cars on the cusp of the 25-year line for the USA — early 2000s Land Rover Defenders, Skylines, Supras and Euro-spec sports cars command strong premiums in the US market the moment they cross the 25-year threshold.

For Canada, the 15-year rule is much more flexible — early 2010s cars qualify and the market for UK-spec Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes and Mini is healthy. Always confirm CETA origin documentation to claim the 0% duty preference.