About ImportCostCalc

We publish honest, fully itemised cost breakdowns for importing and exporting cars and motorcycles — the numbers we wish we'd had before our own first import.

What we do

ImportCostCalc is an independent publication. Every guide takes one specific vehicle and one specific route, then walks through every real cost between the seller and your driveway. We don't sell shipping, we don't take commissions on the cars we write about, and we don't publish thin, auto-generated filler.

How we research our figures

• Duty rates come from official sources — the US HTSUS, EU TARIC and national customs authorities.
• Freight and crating figures are based on real 2026 forwarder quotes, shown as ranges because they vary.
• Compliance rules (EPA, DOT/NHTSA, EU type-approval, Australian SEVS/RAWS) are summarised from the agencies' own requirements.
• Every guide carries a clear estimates-not-advice disclaimer and a published date.

Our writers

Marcus Lane — Vehicle import & export specialist. Marcus has spent more than a decade buying, shipping and registering vehicles across borders — from JDM coupes at Japanese auctions to American muscle headed for Europe. Full profile →

Priya Nair — Motorcycle import researcher. Priya focuses on two-wheel imports — the tariff brackets, crating quirks and EPA/DOT paperwork that make bringing a motorcycle across borders its own discipline. Full profile →

Sofia Berg — Customs & compliance writer. Sofia covers the compliance side of moving vehicles internationally — EU type-approval, UK IVA, Australian SEVS/RAWS and the document trails that decide whether a car clears or sits at the port. Full profile →

Corrections

Spotted a figure that looks off? Email our team — accuracy is the whole product here.