How To Import Used Vehicles Into ChinaChina Auto Trade

How to import car into China

Here are some important terms and tips about to tell you that how easly you can import a used car into China.

Classic cars – no chance. The Chinese authorities will only give papers to a car that is under 20 years old. Commercial vehicles have a much less life span.

Right hand drive vehicles – also no chance. China drives on the right hand side of the road (steering wheel on the left, like the USA). Keep your right hand drive cars in your right hand drive countries please, the Chinese authorities will not allow them onto the roads. However, there are many Japanese imported sports cars here that have been imported, and have had the RHD to LHD conversion done.

Electric cars – no chance, hybrids okay, but fully electric cars, you will have a tough time getting papers for legal road use.

Import tax – Import tax is a funny issue, if you have a foreign experts certificate to say you are a foreign expert from the PRC government then you can import a car into China tax free for as long as you stay in China. Foreign expert cards are not exactly hard to come by, if youdont have one, a visa agency can probably sort one out for you, but then you’ll need documents from your company, your boss etc to prove you work for them, this may be harder to obtain. If you dont have any of the above documents, then you will be hit with a tax that varies from 37% to 47% of the vehicles value. Foreign companies setting up shop in China can import their own company vehicles tax free into China.

Selling your car in China –you cant sell your imported car and must take it with you when you leave, and that you can sell your car after six months of the car being in your name in China. Judging by the number of ‘one off’ cars (i.e. you can sell your car after six months, but we are unsure of the procedures that you need to go through.

Shipping – Before your baby is even shipped, it will need to be checked for safety (i.e. empty fuel tank etc etc) by a customs official from which ever country you are shipping it from, this can be costly. Also once its arrived in China, it will need another inspection (not so costly)

Ports – Only a few ports in China can accept incoming cars – we believe these are Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, and perhaps Shenzhen

Hong Kong and Macau cars – they can have special plates fitted just for the day trip across the border, and the same for Macau cars. There is no surety about if RHD cars from Hong Kong can legally go across the border into China

Driving Licenses – You may well have a driving license from your respective country, but that doesnt mean anything in China and neither does the international driving license, China was never a signatory to the international driving license law and as such, they do not recognize it. If you want to drive in China, you must have a Chinese driving license, you get this from the police, nobody else. If someone offers to get you a Chinese driving license for a few thousand RMB (usually 1 to 4,000rmb) do not buy it from him, visit the local cop shop, enquire and get instructions as to how to get your license.

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