The 72-hour rule
To export a vehicle from the United States, the original title must be presented to Customs and Border Protection at the port of exit at least seventy-two hours before it leaves. Copies are not accepted. This single requirement is why export deals fall apart: the title is still in the mail while the booking sits on a vessel.
File the paperwork, or have an agent do it
Most exports require an electronic export filing and an ITN before the shipment can be loaded. Freight forwarders handle this routinely for a fee, and for a first export that fee is money well spent.
What the destination will want
- Original title, assigned to the exporter or the buyer
- Bill of sale and the auction invoice showing the price paid
- Bill of lading from the shipping line
- Proof the vehicle meets the destination's age and emissions rules
- Import duty and VAT, calculated on the purchase price plus freight
Timing the whole chain
Title processing after the sale, transport to port, the customs window and the sailing itself stack up. Six to ten weeks from hammer to arrival is realistic on a container route, and quoting anything faster to a buyer abroad is how you end up apologising.
From the auction floor
See how this works on a real lot.
Every listing carries its inspection report, its full specification and its bid history. Read one before you decide what it is worth to you.