DIY: How to Import an E30 Touring

[roguetoaster]

What's an "ACE document"?

Your search engine provided answer is as good as mine, but: "The Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) is the system through which the trade community reports imports and exports and the government determines admissibility."

[Jeremicium]

I was just quoted $2280 for shipping from Zeebruge Belgium to Tacoma, not too bad. I’ve got a recommended guy working on getting one for me right now. Red, 75k mile design edition 316. Finger’s crossed that the car is as advertised when my guy goes to check it out. If it is it should be on a boat for the states by mid Sept.

[twright]

Hmm, Ivo wouldn'tbe able to get those forms since they are filed by the importer, and yes, I was stonewalled by my first shipper when I asked, but when I asked their listed importer the documents appeared.

I also see the following or similar on three or four states fairly current requirements list for importation.

"The following U.S. Customs and Border Protection forms with the Customs stamp, electronic signature or ACE document(s)"

Presumably there is still a way to get a physical copy or some other type of approval document to go along with it if a state wants to be difficult about it.

Whatever the case, do as your individual state allows, and once it's titled in the US it's probably fairly safe.

What's an "ACE document"?

[roguetoaster]

Hmm, Ivo wouldn'tbe able to get those forms since they are filed by the importer, and yes, I was stonewalled by my first shipper when I asked, but when I asked their listed importer the documents appeared.

I also see the following or similar on three or four states fairly current requirements list for importation.

"The following U.S. Customs and Border Protection forms with the Customs stamp, electronic signature or ACE document(s)"

Presumably there is still a way to get a physical copy or some other type of approval document to go along with it if a state wants to be difficult about it.

Whatever the case, do as your individual state allows, and once it's titled in the US it's probably fairly safe.

[twright]

They have been filed electronically for probably 20 years, but there is also a paper copy somewhere, which may be required to move cargo from the secure side of the port to a storage area that can have cargo exit. That said, if you had good luck without stamps that's awesome, but when I physically looked at the MD MVA employees checklist for documents it specifically specified a customs stamp on the doc. Clearly this may have changed for my state, or not be part of the process for others.

Just remember, shippers are not set up for cheapskates who might want to clear their own car through customs, and they would much rather have you pay them more for the service.

I begged both the shipping company and Ivo for the EPA and DOT paperwork. They both said they don't do that anymore.

[roguetoaster]

I was told by the shipping company that the HS7 and EPA forms are now filled out electronically and would not give me a copy. I filled them out myself and didn't have a problem.

They have been filed electronically for probably 20 years, but there is also a paper copy somewhere, which may be required to move cargo from the secure side of the port to a storage area that can have cargo exit. That said, if you had good luck without stamps that's awesome, but when I physically looked at the MD MVA employees checklist for documents it specifically specified a customs stamp on the doc. Clearly this may have changed for my state, or not be part of the process for others.

Just remember, shippers are not set up for cheapskates who might want to clear their own car through customs, and they would much rather have you pay them more for the service.

[benfidar]

Prices have really gone up. I paid 1300 Euro from B-haven to B-more. I did work with an American Lamprect on the shipping and the port service. I never went to the port. They handled everything. I paid almost $1900 on the service, fees, and import duties duties to get it out of port. It was also well worth the cost to pay an agent in Germany (800 Euro) who looked it over, handled the purchase, paperwork, insurance, and transport to the port. Shipping by truck to Chicago cost more than the liner across the Atlantic.

For anyone thinking about it, now is the time to import a good Touring. They will be all scooped up very soon and I suspect that they will be quite expensive soon. Remember, there weren't that many to begin with (103,704 out of 2,344,341) and they were used constantly. I wonder how many lower km not rotten Tourings there are left in the world. My agent, Jens Richter, bought two more violet 93-94s after shipping mine to me. One had rust and missing Euroweaves and the other had 300k km and a worn interior. He sold them both in one day for nearly as much as I paid for my 70k km car with no issues at all.

By the end of August I will be tooling around Chicago and southern Wisconsin with my professionally installed m52b28 too!

[twright]

First time post on r3v. Have a friend in Netherlands that is going to help me import a touring. Anyone imported recently? Curious what import costs are looking like with inflation and the current transport environment. My guy in the Netherlands has shipped cars before and will take it to the port…and i can pick it up from the port in Tacoma, Wa. Any help is appreciated. Shipping costs will certainly affect the quality of car i can afford to import. Thanks in advance!

I just imported a Touring 2 weeks ago. Don't know what the shipping costs are to the west coast, but to Baltimore, it was about $2200.

Call several shipping companies. There will probably be $500-1000 difference between the different companies. Just use Google to find different shipping companies. I used Shipoverseas.com once and other companies for two other import events.

Go for it. It's not that hard. The shipping company does all the hard work.

[twright]

No issues with the HS7 and EPA forms not being stamped for you I assume? I believe these do need to be filed by a broker/shipper/importer for a legal import, so they ought to be available to a buyer from one of those sources.

I was told by the shipping company that the HS7 and EPA forms are now filled out electronically and would not give me a copy. I filled them out myself and didn't have a problem.

[Jeremicium]

First time post on r3v. Have a friend in Netherlands that is going to help me import a touring. Anyone imported recently? Curious what import costs are looking like with inflation and the current transport environment. My guy in the Netherlands has shipped cars before and will take it to the port…and i can pick it up from the port in Tacoma, Wa. Any help is appreciated. Shipping costs will certainly affect the quality of car i can afford to import. Thanks in advance!

[roguetoaster]

No issues with the HS7 and EPA forms not being stamped for you I assume? I believe these do need to be filed by a broker/shipper/importer for a legal import, so they ought to be available to a buyer from one of those sources.

[twright]

I have now imported and Titled three Tourings in Indiana. If you want to sail cleanly through the license branch in our state, here's what you need:

1.) Indiana Bill of Sale form 44237
2.) Indiana odometer Disclosure Statement form 43230
3.) Indiana physical Inspection Form 39530 (signed by a Police Officer before you get there)
4.) Your Proof of Identity (your Drivers License is fine)
5.) Proof of Insurance for the vehicle
6.) EPA form 3520 (this form doesn't come from the shipping company. Go to the EPA website and print one out and fill it in.)
7.) DOT form HS-7 (this form doesn't come from the shipping company. Go to the EPA website and print one out and fill it in.)
8.) A Certified Translation of both parts of the European registration. ( I used RushTranslate.com. It costs about $50 and takes about 24 hours to get it back from them.)


If you have all of these forms (with no mistakes or strikeovers on them) it will take them 30-40 minutes to do all the stuff that they have to do. They usually have to call someone to help, because it is not something they usually do and will need help.

If all these forms won't work for the branch you went to, go to another one that is more helpful. Don't waste your time there.

[shawshankNG]

This information is gold. Thanks to the poster and contributors! I have a 325iS I want to export from Nigeria. I have experience importing to Nigeria, but finding precise information on what the US buyer has to do if I export to him has been daunting, with shipping websites wanting to charge for even front desk type of information.

[twright]

I'm sorry I can't help with that detail. It was all a blur to me. I'm just glad I had a great Escort Person.

I do know I had the Delivery Order and something from Customs when I entered the Port, and didn't have them when I left.

[roguetoaster]

Interesting, would think that only two lines would be required, at the customs office for release, and at the terminal to verify clearance/release cargo. If you have any more info, or evem better, redacted photos of docs, that would be great. Clearly cell phone use/photography is prohibited in some areas, so photos may be impractical.

Glad you got it all done quickly, at least based on the escort cost!