Transatlantic shipping

[baradona]

Is anyone able to recommend a shipper please? A colleague wants to get his Merc from NYC to Paris by late July.

Thanks all

[R8Spyderman]

You'll need a freight forwarder. A "shipper" technically is the one who owns the cargo and is exporting it abroad whereas people commonly call the carrier "shipper". A car carrier that makes that trip is Wallenius Lines. But carriers don't usually deal directly with the public and therefore a freight forwarder is needed, someone who will prepare the export documentation (bill of lading, shipper's export declaration, etc.). My suggestion is for him to call Wallenius in NY and ask them to recommend a local freight forwarder with whom he can make all the arrangements.

I just did a little research and found this helpful link:

http://www.2wglobal.com/www/customer.../howto_pov.jsp

[baradona]

Much appreciated!

[R8Spyderman]

Is your friend planning on bringing the car back to the States eventually or will it stay in Europe? That's a huge question because bringing it back into the States is no easy task. Likewise, importing a vehicle into the EU is also a big deal and could be expensive to clear customs and prove it meets safety and smog regulations. If it is a temporary importation with a return to the States in the near future, then he really needs a freight forwarder or customhouse broker and possibly get it a carnet, which is a passport for a vehicle. Maybe they don't use carnets nowadays (I'm retired so I'm not up on the latest regs) but there should be a temporary importation method in place so as to avoid duties and fees and to facilitate re-entry into the USA later on. If he's not returning it and plans on it staying in the EU, he needs to investigate what that process is and the attendant costs to do so.

[M3R8]

Always get at least 3-4 quotes, you'll find them wildly different... When I needed to ship a 40ft container overseas I had quotes in the tens of thousands, some at thousands, and one at under a thousand.

The cheapest one was also a big reputable firm so I went when them and it went well.

[R8Spyderman]

Always get at least 3-4 quotes, you'll find them wildly different... When I needed to ship a 40ft container overseas I had quotes in the tens of thousands, some at thousands, and one at under a thousand.

The cheapest one was also a big reputable firm so I went when them and it went well.

True. That's why you need a freight forwarder or two to quote you various car carriers.

[baradona]

I'm not really sure what the plan is - it's a '98 car and I'm not entirely clear as to why he's bringing it over... I shall investigate. The input is very much appreciated.