Importing a European classic to the US from New Zealand is more affordable than most buyers expect — and notably simpler on tax than Australia, because there's no luxury car tax. Here's the full landed cost.
The car price
Already includes our margin — no separate US-side service or brokerage fee. The listing price is the car, delivered to freight.
Ocean freight
From New Zealand into Long Beach, Baltimore, Houston, Brunswick or Tacoma. RoRo for value, container for protection (recommended on higher-value classics). The import cost calculator gives an indicative figure to each port in your currency.
US import duty & tariff — 2.5% + 10%
Currently 2.5% import duty plus a 10% tariff, both on the car's price and collected by your customs broker at entry. On a US$60,000 classic that's US$1,500 duty plus US$6,000 tariff — about US$7,500 (the 10% tariff is current US policy and can change; we confirm the live rate). Crucially, the US has no luxury car tax — a real saving versus Australia's LCT on a valuable European car.
Broker, transport and registration
Add your customs broker's fee (a third party who files the HS-7 and EPA 3520-1 and clears the car — you can arrange one yourself or our agents can help you find one), onward transport from the port, and state registration fees and sales or use tax to finish the total.
See which European classics are eligible and how the process works, or browse the exotic import guides by region.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to import a European classic to the USA?
The landed cost is the car price plus ocean freight, US import charges (currently 2.5% duty plus a 10% tariff on the car's price — a rate that can change, confirmed with your broker), a customs broker fee, onward transport and state registration and tax. Unlike Australia there is no luxury car tax. Importify adds no separate US-side service fee — run your numbers in the calculator.
How much are the US import charges on a classic car?
Currently 2.5% import duty plus a 10% tariff, both on the car's price and collected by your customs broker at entry. On a US$60,000 classic that is US$1,500 duty plus US$6,000 tariff — about US$7,500. The 10% tariff is current US policy and can change, so we confirm the live rate. The 25-year rule waives safety compliance, not these charges.
Is there a luxury tax on importing a classic to the US?
No — the US has no federal luxury car tax on imported vehicles (unlike Australia's LCT). Your costs are the US import duty and tariff, freight, broker and state registration/sales tax. On a high-value classic, avoiding LCT still makes the US total more predictable than Australia's.
