Author Topic: Importing A Car From The States (Read 4370 times)

kirin · « **on:** April 10, 2005, 05:25:43 AM »

Hey guys,
Turns out I'm dragging back in roughly 75 days a new ride with Macpherson struts, IRS and a 2.0 Liter..
So I need to go through the list.
From what I understand,...
U.S Export form
ICBC tax/transfer forms.
Bill of sale... and of course send U.S customs the tax form at least 3 days in advance.
Anything else?
Oh anyone else know how does it work if the car was originally sold in canada and then exported during the past 10 years and now its coming home?(Repatriated)
Anyways Pointblank and anybody else that has done this recently help me out please...
-Kirin

Shane · « **Reply #1 on:** April 10, 2005, 06:35:19 AM »

Kirin,
You need to have the bill of sale and the Title,
You need to fax this info to the border 72hours before you get there, Must be working days not weekends, Once you get there you go into US customs and they want to see all the original paper work. then they will give you a paper clearing it into Canada. You go over to Canada and pay your fees and then ICBC once your home,

slammedbus · « **Reply #2 on:** April 10, 2005, 07:39:52 AM »

Don't forget the govt..........shudder..........inspection.

Shane · « **Reply #3 on:** April 10, 2005, 09:08:35 AM »

should not need an inspection if it was a BC car before.. Kirin said it was from Canada already..
DC passed inspection no problem...

Russ · « **Reply #4 on:** April 10, 2005, 09:11:38 AM »

i would almost bet that if it went to the states and is comming home you could bring it back as scrap and go right through the canadian border then off to icbc where they would still have a record of it in their system.
or mabey just hopeful thinking on my part
good luck with it
russ

Chris · « **Reply #5 on:** April 10, 2005, 09:16:06 AM »

out of province vehicles require inspections as far as I know

Russ · « **Reply #6 on:** April 10, 2005, 09:35:56 AM »

Quote

out of province vehicles require inspections as far as I know

Chris is right for some reason i was thinking B.C.

marquis · « **Reply #7 on:** April 10, 2005, 09:42:01 AM »

Bit of useful info...
You can only import/export through Blaine Mon-Fri until 3:30 or so. The truck crossing in Sumas does imports/exports on the weekends which is much more convenient.

slammedbus · « **Reply #8 on:** April 10, 2005, 10:07:07 AM »

You can through Oroville/oosoyoos

Shane · « **Reply #9 on:** April 10, 2005, 11:28:58 AM »

Quote

Bit of useful info...
You can only import/export through Blaine Mon-Fri until 3:30 or so. The truck crossing in Sumas does imports/exports on the weekends which is much more convenient.

I did mine through Sumas as It is a lot less paperwork and they are alot more relaxed tehre. If you reg. the car through a business you have to go through Truck border, and must be done on weekday. We came through Sumas on a Holiday monday and everything was good

72vwtype2 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 10, 2005, 01:41:38 PM »

This questions seems to resurface every few month's and there are always useful and excellent responses from the many experineced people on this forum. Many of us consider importing a VW from the US (specially the drier states) to obtain less \"rotten\" cars, than we find locally.

Since it is a common question and of great interest to many of us. Is it possible for those that are experineced to put together some type of \"What to do List\" and then make it assessible through this forum? Perhaps, we need a FAQ section?

Thanks.

kirin · « **Reply #11 on:** April 11, 2005, 12:25:42 AM »

Thanks guys for the tips.
I'm not sure about the inspection nobody really is. I hope I don't have to fork over another 100 bucks for this thing. Yet it is out of province. It will be good to bring home an exB.C car. Anyways thanks for the tips. Keep you up to date with what goes down..

thrasherbill · « **Reply #12 on:** April 11, 2005, 11:18:24 PM »

I'll be heading down to the border this thursday to get some paperwork sorted out. I'm bringing back a '72 Westy from Bremerton in 2 weeks. It's non running at the moment and I'm trading it for a non running motorcycle so I have to find out what taxes and other crap I'll have to pay with a straight trade. I'll let everyone know what I find out.

ThrasheR

el_flechador · « **Reply #13 on:** April 12, 2005, 02:11:21 PM »

Does anyone have a web address or even a phone no for US customs at Sumas?? i nam unable to find it anywhere and importing at the weekend would solve all my problems

Thanks

Dott

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2005, 02:22:33 PM »

Here you go 360-332-8891.

Also good link to CBP web-site on exporting a motor vehicle

http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/export/expo...tor_vehicle.xml

el_flechador · « **Reply #15 on:** April 12, 2005, 02:31:15 PM »

Thanks there Daddy you d man..

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #16 on:** April 12, 2005, 02:40:18 PM »

Just remember this is a \"PERSONAL\" importation and you don't plan on selling the vehicle....

el_flechador · « **Reply #17 on:** April 12, 2005, 02:40:49 PM »

Apparently the no. has changed to 360 332 1640. then got redirected to vehicle export office back in blaine,i'll let you's know the outcome....

el_flechador · « **Reply #18 on:** April 12, 2005, 02:44:18 PM »

Quote

Just remember this is a \"PERSONAL\" importation and you don't plan on selling the vehicle....

check and check

Aircooled Angel · « **Reply #19 on:** April 12, 2005, 06:40:41 PM »

GET THIS:

Recently Mike and I bought a 79 bay window that had been imported from Californa in the early 90s. They didn't have to do all the bullshit paper work but they still had to do the inspection. Anyway the guy claims to have lost the inspection paperwork (or never did it? hmmm?) Anyway, when we checked into it ICBC told us to wait 6 weeks to get new paperwork or do the inspection again. We chose to do the inspection and again. But also Mike got talking to the lady and she told us that we MUST have a copy of the car's title stamped by customs which is commen sense, but the new thing that they want is a COPY OF IT\"S LAST INSURANCE and REGISTRATION! Luckily/conveniently they just happened to have one in still in the glove box 10 years later. BUT BEWARE. We are now working on the inspection for our 6th car in the last 2 years and never had this asked before. I am not sure if it's something new, but if you can get this. GET IT!

What a pain eh?

And for reference. You pay 7% Gst and 6 % duty when you import the car to Canadian customs. Then when you go to insure the car you pay 7% PST to ICBC

Al Canuck · « **Reply #20 on:** April 16, 2005, 09:09:21 AM »

Quote

And for reference. You pay 7% Gst and 6 % duty when you import the car to Canadian customs. Then when you go to insure the car you pay 7% PST to ICBC

You only pay the duty if the car is newer then 25 years old.

Also, if the car has a/c (working or not), there is a $100 excise tax to pay.

This trip will go smooth Kirin, no worries. See ya' in Chicago.

Al

thrasherbill · « **Reply #21 on:** April 16, 2005, 06:17:37 PM »

Not trying to argue but I was told at the border that if the vehicle was made off the continent (ie. Germany) you pay the duty regardless of age. Also, no one at the US or Canadian customs offices knew anything about bringing vehicles through Sumas on the weekends so if anyone finds out 100% for sure please let me know. I don't want to tow a bus all the way to Sumas just to get turned around at the border.

ThrasheR

el_flechador · « **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2005, 08:37:25 PM »

OK there thrasher i'm looking in to doing the weekend thing through Sumas my self as i cant get weekday off work, i followed a lead from on here and this is what i found out;
Sumas customs 360 988 4781
Importing ok at weekend as long as it is for personal not commercial.
You will need to send them 72 hrs before copies of:
1 Title
2 registration
3 Bill of sale
4 Photocopy of my Id ie BC drivers license and my permanent resident card as i'm not yet a citizen
5 short cover note with myphone no on it.

there fax no is 360 988 9104

i found this out a couple of days ago so it is still valid info. i guess you could find out from the above no, i tried tracking it down but it took a wee while as the old no had changed.
Best of luck
Dott

Al Canuck · « **Reply #23 on:** April 16, 2005, 08:39:39 PM »

Quote

Not trying to argue but I was told at the border that if the vehicle was made off the continent (ie. Germany) you pay the duty regardless of age. Also, no one at the US or Canadian customs offices knew anything about bringing vehicles through Sumas on the weekends so if anyone finds out 100% for sure please let me know. I don't want to tow a bus all the way to Sumas just to get turned around at the border.

ThrasheR

Hey Bill,

I brought a 67 1600, and a 71 2002 up last year. No duty on either one of them.

Al

Swartz · « **Reply #24 on:** April 18, 2005, 06:23:48 PM »

What do they look at during the inspection? And where can it be done?

Swartz · « **Reply #25 on:** April 19, 2005, 01:04:08 PM »

Hey, the car im looking to buy the guy said he has the title(its clean) but no registration and the tabs are expired..im assuming he means the insurance decals. But what do i do about it not coming with the registrations?

Hoosier Daddy · « **Reply #26 on:** April 19, 2005, 01:42:17 PM »

When I brought my car up all I had was the Tittle and Bill of Sale. Once insurance place said I needed the registration...I just went to another one that didn't ask.

If your really concerned I would just ask the guy to put some tabs on it (IE register it) then you would have everything. I know the cost isn't much more than $40 bucks.

Russ · « **Reply #27 on:** April 19, 2005, 02:16:08 PM »

it has been just about three years since we brought ours up but we did not need registration papers.
bill of sale and title

Shane · « **Reply #28 on:** April 19, 2005, 02:37:46 PM »

Quote

4 Photocopy of my Id ie BC drivers license and my permanent resident card as i'm not yet a citizen

Just a suggestion, that was told to me, you should photocopy your driver's license ahead of time, that way you can enlarge and lighten it, otherwise it comes out dark and unreadable through the fax and then everything could be delayed.

Aircooled Angel · « **Reply #29 on:** April 19, 2005, 03:55:44 PM »

I just got off the phone with the Sumas border crossing and they were so friendly! We're hoping to import bus on Sunday coming home from Pulluyap

That makes life so much easier! I wish we had known that when we imported Paul's car 2 years ago.

Author Topic: Importing A Car From The States (Read 4370 times)

Russ

Russ

Russ