Ocean Shipping: Getting Your Car to the USA
Your car is on a vessel somewhere in the Pacific. This is the easiest part of the process — there's nothing to do but wait. Use the time to sort your customs broker and get your paperwork ready for when it arrives.
RoRo vs. Container Shipping
🚢 RoRo (Roll-on / Roll-off)
- → Car drives onto the vessel and is secured in the hold
- → Most affordable option — typically $1,200–$2,000
- → Car is exposed to salt air and other vehicles
- → Most exporters and JDM importers use RoRo by default
- → No modifications allowed while in RoRo hold
📦 Container Shipping
- → Car is loaded into a sealed steel container
- → More expensive — typically $2,500–$4,500
- → Better protection for high-value or modified cars
- → Can include personal items in the container (check restrictions)
- → Preferred for rare/collectible vehicles
Our recommendation: For cars valued under $30,000 in good condition, RoRo is standard practice and perfectly safe. For rare or highly valuable vehicles (R34 GT-R V-spec, NSX Type R, etc.), the extra cost of container is worth the protection.
US Destination Ports
Pick the port closest to where you live, not the cheapest one. Saving $300 on freight and then spending $600 trucking it across the country doesn't make sense.
Los Angeles / Long Beach, CA
$1,200–$1,500Most common, highest volume, fastest transit from Japan
Seattle / Tacoma, WA
$1,200–$1,600Good option for Pacific Northwest buyers
Baltimore, MD
$1,800–$2,200Best option for East Coast buyers
New York / Newark, NJ
$2,000–$2,500Northeast buyers — longer transit, higher cost
* Shipping costs are approximate and fluctuate with fuel surcharges and carrier demand. Use the cost calculator for current estimates.
Marine Insurance
Marine insurance costs 1–1.5% of the declared vehicle value and covers damage, theft, or loss during transit. Your exporter or freight forwarder can arrange it — just ask.
Don't skip this. Shipping lines cap their liability well below most JDM values, and RoRo incidents do happen. On a $15,000 car you're looking at ~$225. Just do it.
Tracking Your Shipment
Once loaded, your exporter sends you a Bill of Lading (B/L). Plug the vessel name into MarineTraffic or VesselFinder and you can watch it cross the Pacific in real time — genuinely satisfying after months of waiting.
Forward the B/L to your customs broker immediately. They need it to file the ISF before the vessel arrives — and late ISF filing is a $5,000 fine.
Surrender Bill of Lading
A standard Bill of Lading requires the original physical document to be presented at the destination port to claim your vehicle. A Surrender B/L is an alternative where the exporter surrenders the original at the origin port — meaning you can release the cargo at the destination with just a copy or a telex release, without waiting for the original to arrive by mail.
Why it matters: A surrendered B/L significantly speeds up cargo release at the US port. Without it, you may be waiting for the original document to physically arrive before your car can be released — adding days or weeks of storage fees. Ask your exporter to issue a Surrender B/L at the time of shipment.
Customs Bond
A customs bond is a financial guarantee required by US Customs for importing goods above $2,500 in value. It guarantees that all duties, taxes, and fees will be paid. For a single vehicle import, you'll use a Single Entry Bond (SEB).
Your broker will include the bond as part of their service fee. You generally don't need to arrange this separately — just confirm it's included when you hire them.