Planning your budget
There is no price list on this site, and that is deliberate. What we can do is show you how buyers usually frame a budget, which stages the total is made of, and what we need from you to search well.
Two ways buyers describe a budget
Vehicle price only
You are comparing what the car costs at the Foshan end. Freight, duty and clearance are arranged on your side, or by an agent you already work with.
Landed cost
You want the total up to the point where the vehicle is cleared in your country. That reaches across all three stages below, and most of them are not ours to set.
It is also fine to say you are not sure yet. Tell us the vehicle or the type you are after, and a colleague will come back with what is genuinely on the market before you commit to either basis.
What the total is made of
The stages below describe what each part covers. What any of it costs, and who arranges and pays for it, is agreed between you and the supplier for your specific case — it is not set by this page. If you are buying several vehicles at once, how a volume order is planned is set out separately.
In China
| Item | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | The car itself, as described in the details you are given |
| Inspection and reconditioning | Any pre-purchase inspection that is arranged, and any repairs agreed with you beforehand |
| Inland transport | Moving the vehicle from where it is in China to the loading port |
| Export formalities | Export licence, customs declaration and the certificates that go with them |
International transport
| Item | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Ocean freight | Shipping to your port, by container or RoRo. The rate depends on the route, the method and the season |
| Marine insurance | Cover for the voyage, if you choose to take it |
At destination
| Item | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Port charges | Terminal handling and the local fees charged when the vehicle arrives |
| Duty and taxes | Import duty, VAT and any levies set by your country. These are set by your authorities, not by us |
| Customs clearance | Clearing the vehicle into your country, usually through your own clearing agent |
| Inland delivery | Moving the vehicle from the port to where you need it |
| Registration | Local compliance work and the fees where the vehicle ends up registered |
What moves the total
The same model can land at a very different total in two countries, or in the same country a few months apart. These are the things that move it:
- The vehicle — model, year, mileage and condition, and how many are actually on the market that week.
- What you ask to be done before loading — inspection, and any reconditioning you agree to.
- Freight — the route, whether the vehicle ships in a container or rolls on, and the season.
- Your country’s rules — duty, taxes and any age or hand-of-drive limits. These are set locally and change without notice.
Why there are no prices on this site
- Freight and destination charges move faster than a web page. A figure published here would be out of date by the time you read it, and you would be right to hold us to it.
- Import rules differ by country and change without notice. Age limits, duty and hand-of-drive rules are checked against official documents and your local agent, case by case.
- A number on a page turns into a promise. We would rather give you a figure for a specific vehicle, on a specific day, in writing, with the basis stated.
What helps us search well
- Destination country — it decides the age limits, the hand of drive and the paperwork.
- Model or vehicle type, plus an acceptable year range — a range usually finds more than a single year.
- Quantity — one car and twenty cars are sourced differently.
- Which basis you are budgeting on — vehicle price alone, or landed cost.
- Timeline — whether you are buying this month or planning for later in the year.
You do not have to name an amount. The basis, the model and the destination are enough for a colleague to come back with what is genuinely available — send those four things here.
Send us your requirement
Destination country, vehicle or model, quantity, and one way to reach you. Add the budget basis if you have one — it changes how we search.
We use what you send only to answer your inquiry, never for marketing. How we handle your details.