HONG KONG • QUICK GUIDE TO SHIPPING
CALL US ON 01525 851545 IF YOU NEED HELP FINDING INFORMATION
- A car is shipped in a sealed 20’ container from the Barking/East London warehouse to Hong Kong. Ships sail every week taking 3–4 weeks and any car contents travel free of charge.
- A booking is made by completing our shipment booking form and can be made up to 3 months or as little as 1 week before shipment. A copy of the UK registration document V5C is required.
- The costs due in the UK are for shipping and marine insurance payable at the time of shipment by UK cheque or bank transfer. In Hong Kong costs are payable for port fees and container unpacking, import declaration, customs clearance and handling, possible emissions and noise tests, moving the vehicle from the port to and from the government test centre, roadworthy test and inspection, licensing, number plates and driving insurance.
- Hong Kong Registration Tax is levied on the total cost/value of the car once it has arrived in Hong Kong – the purchase price plus the cost of any improvements plus the shipping costs. The tax rate is 40% for the first HK$150,000 of value, 75% for the next HK$150,000, 100% for the next HK$200,000 and 115% on any balance over and above this. A depreciation allowance may be allowed if the vehicle has been owned and used in the UK for each complete year before shipment to Hong Kong.
- Vehicles not qualifying as a personal import or a classic car may require modification in Hong Kong to meet emission and noise standards. Left-hand drive cars are prohibited from being imported to Hong Kong.
- A guide to the total costs (excluding registration tax and import declaration) would be £1100–£1200 shipping, £100–£300 marine insurance, HK$5,000–6,000 in Hong Kong to cover port, unpacking and customs charges, plus HK$6,000–8,000 for other fees and a HK agent to handle the importation and registration on your behalf.
PROCEDURE:
- Read our website
- Contact us for a written quotation and an emailed information pack
- Check with a HK agent for noise and emission issues/compliance as well as a quotation for handling the arrival formalities
- Check the total destination costs and tax and decide to ship a car
- Send to us a completed shipment booking form and we arrange the export
- Make payment of the shipping charges
- The car is handed to us and we ship it to Hong Kong
- We send the shipping papers to you about a week after the ship has sailed
- The shipping papers are put together with all your car papers for the authorities when the car arrives in HK
- The HK agent can assist with the import
- Settle the port and unpacking costs with the shipping line
- Pay the import fees and clear customs
- Take the vehicle to Kowloon Bay for the government test and pay the Registration Tax
- Fit number plates and license the vehicle for road use
- Arrange driving insurance.
Our normal services include:
- the receiving of the vehicle near Barking (collection by transporter from anywhere in the UK at an additional cost)
- preparation for shipment, packing and securing of the vehicle into one ISO General Container at a private warehouse and securing with a security registered seal
- export and customs documentation
- haulage of the container to the UK export port
- UK port and handling charges
- providing Bills of Lading (title documents to the cargo shipped) to your nominated address once shipment has been effected
- ocean freight from the UK port through to arrival at the port of Hong Kong.
Marine insurance is not included in the shipping price and the costs would be calculated at £15 per £1000 value (1.5%). The declared value should represent the value of the vehicle in Hong Kong and not the UK value.
We have at our disposal regular direct container line sailings from Thamesport or Southampton through to Hong Kong every week with an average transit time of 24/26 days.
For your further information we can advise you that we can recommend an agent in Hong Kong that would be able to assist with the import formalities, namely:
Mr. Tom Wilson, |
OR | Mr. Eric Tai/Mr. David Moy, |
HONG KONG CAR VALUES
Further information, including a guide to prices and useful website and contact addresses, can be found in the Hong Kong Info Pack (PDF).