Sourcing and buying
The search, the shortlist, the bidding or the bargaining, and buying the car once you approve the inspection report.
Feefrom $650
The car you want, found abroad and brought home
Portside Car Imports sources used cars in other countries, has them inspected before you pay, ships them and handles the import and registration paperwork. Duties, taxes, age limits and registration rules are set by your country, so every quote shows them as estimates.
Inspectedbefore any payment
One feefixed in writing first
8 to 14 weeksfor most imports
- Sourced in export markets
- Inspected before payment
- Roll on or container shipping
- Customs and registration papers
How an import works
Most imports take eight to fourteen weeks from the brief to the plates, depending on the route and the paperwork in your country.
Your brief
The car you want, your budget and where it will be registered. We check that country's import rules before we search.
Search and shortlist
Auctions and dealers abroad are searched, and you get a shortlist with photos, history and an estimate of the landed cost.
Inspection, then payment
An independent inspector checks the car you choose. You decide with the report in hand, and only then is it bought.
Shipping and customs
The car sails roll on, roll off or in a container, and the customs paperwork is lodged for its arrival.
Checks and plates
We arrange the checks your road authority requires and file the registration paperwork. The authority decides the outcome.
What we charge for
Our fees are fixed in writing before the search starts. Shipping, duties, taxes and registration charges are passed on at cost and shown on lines of their own.
Inspection before purchase
An independent inspector checks the body, the underside, the engine and the history papers, with photos and a written report.
Per carfrom $180
Shipping arrangements
Roll on, roll off or container space booked with insurance, and the car collected from the seller and taken to the port.
Per routequoted at booking
Customs paperwork
Import declarations prepared and lodged, with duty and tax estimated in advance and paid at the rates the authority applies.
Per carfrom $290
Checks and registration
The checks your road authority requires arranged, and the registration paperwork followed through until the plates are issued.
Per carfrom $340
A car you bought yourself
Already bought a car abroad? We take over the shipping, the customs paperwork and the registration from the seller's door.
From collectionfrom $450
What makes up the landed cost
Every quote lists these lines separately and marks which figures are fixed and which are estimates.
| Cost | Who sets it | On your quote |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | The seller or the auction | The agreed price, confirmed before you pay |
| Our fee | Portside | Fixed in writing before the search |
| Inspection | The independent inspector | Fixed for each car |
| Shipping and insurance | The shipping line and the insurer | Estimated per route, confirmed at booking |
| Import duty and taxes | Your country's customs authority | Estimated from current rates, final amount set at clearance |
| Checks and registration | Your country's road authority | Estimated, depending on what the car needs |
Duties, taxes, age limits and registration rules are set by each country and can change while a car is at sea. Figures we do not control are always estimates, and the final amounts are the ones the authorities charge.
Rules first, then the search
Some countries limit the age of an imported car, some insist on a certain steering side, and many set emission and safety standards that an older car may not meet. We check the rules where the car will be registered before we look at a single listing.
An inspection abroad finds most problems, but it cannot promise that a car will pass the checks in your country. We say how likely we think a pass is, explain what could go wrong and what that might cost, and leave the decision with you.
- Age limits checked before the search
- Steering side and emissions noted on the brief
- Inspection reports with photos
- No promise that a car will pass local checks
Recent arrivals
Cars landed for clients this year, described by type, year and engine.
From clients who imported (example reviews)
The landed cost estimate came within a few hundred dollars of the final bill, and the duty line was marked as an estimate from the start, so nothing came as a shock.
The inspector's photos showed rust under a car that looked perfect in the listing. Portside advised against it, and the second choice was the one that came home.
They said plainly that the first choice was over the age limit here, before any money changed hands. That one call saved a costly mistake.
Questions before you import
Can you promise the car will pass inspection here?
No, and nobody honestly can. The inspection abroad finds most problems, and we tell you how likely we think a pass is, but the result is decided by your road authority.
How long does an import take?
Most take eight to fourteen weeks from the brief to the plates. The search, the sailing schedule and the time your authorities take for checks and registration make the biggest difference.
Do we pay the duty and taxes to you?
They are paid at the rates the customs authority applies when the car is cleared. We estimate them on the quote, pass them on at cost and show them on a line of their own.
Which countries do you buy from?
Wherever the right car is, often markets with large used car auctions or many well kept cars, such as Japan, the United Kingdom or Germany. The rules of your own country decide which of them make sense.
Is there an age limit on imported cars?
In some countries there is, and the limits differ widely. Some also restrict the steering side or require certain emission standards, so we check the rules for the country of registration before the search starts.
What if the inspection finds problems?
You decide. You can drop the car and choose another from the shortlist, or ask us to negotiate the price down. The inspection fee is the only cost of walking away at that stage.
How are payments handled?
Our fee is paid in two parts, at the brief and when the car is bought. The purchase price, shipping, duty and registration charges are paid as each falls due, with a statement showing every line.
Tell us the car you want
Describe the car, your budget and the country where it will be registered. Within two working days you hear back with what the rules allow, a likely landed cost and the next step.
- Import rules checked before the search
- Duty and taxes shown as estimates
- Our fees fixed in writing
Talk to the import desk
Most briefs start with a call, and the desk can talk you through your country's rules before you commit to anything.
Import desk
Office near the container port, visits by appointment
Desk hours
| Monday to Friday | 09:00 to 17:30 |
| Saturday | 10:00 to 13:00, by phone |
| Sunday | Closed |
Office visits
The office is a short drive from the container port. Visits are by appointment, so an import adviser has time to go through your brief with you.