Shipping a car to Chile from the USA

Not into the national territory. Article 21 of Law 18.483, the Estatuto Automotriz, prohibits the import of used motor vehicles, and Chilean Customs applies that directly, so duty cannot simply be paid to bring one in. Used vehicles from the United States instead enter the free zones at Iquique or Arica under free zone treatment, which is why those two ports carry the traffic.

Not for ordinary used vehicle import, because the prohibition applies to the national territory and no shipping arrangement changes it. The northern free zones are the route the trade actually uses. If your plan involves registering a used vehicle in central Chile, settle that with a licensed Chilean customs agent before you buy anything, because the rule is the constraint rather than the freight.

Article 21 contains narrow exceptions for certain uses, including used competition vehicles and antique, collector or historic vehicles. Whether a particular car qualifies is a determination for Chilean Customs and your own licensed customs agent there, and it is not something to assume from a description. Ask before you buy rather than after the vehicle is on the water.

Only under specific arrangements set in Chilean law, and they are limited. A pasavante allows a free zone vehicle into the rest of the country temporarily, for up to ninety days continuous or discontinuous in a calendar year. There is also a franchise available to residents of the zone who move permanently, with its own residence and holding requirements. Your Chilean customs agent is the right person to advise on either.

It is a region given a special customs treatment that extends beyond the free zone itself, and the Arica y Parinacota region is one. Vehicles held under that treatment are not in ordinary national circulation, and the rules governing when and how they can leave the zone are set in Chilean law. The practical detail belongs to a licensed agent in Chile, who can advise on your specific vehicle.

Iquique for most vehicle traffic, because the ZOFRI free zone there is the established market with the buyers, the yards and the trade already in place. Arica suits cargo heading to the far north and the Peruvian border area. Tell us which you need and we will confirm what is actually sailing, because the service options to the two ports are not the same.

Yes, though the service options are thinner than to Iquique and not every United States gateway connects to it directly. Where a client needs Arica we route from a port that serves it properly rather than forcing a connection that does not work well. Tell us at the quote stage so that the routing is built around the port you actually want.

From the East Coast to the northern Chilean ports the average is around thirty three days in normal conditions, varying with the service and with whether the sailing is direct or transships. Add time at the front for collection and loading and allow for the formalities at the far end. We give you a timeline against the actual sailing options with the quote.

New Jersey, Baltimore, Savannah and Houston, with collection and towing available from any state in the country. Which gateway suits your shipment depends on where the vehicle is bought and which Chilean port you want. We route it the way that works out best rather than defaulting to one loading point.

It depends on where the vehicle is collected in the United States, which Chilean port it is going to, whether it travels alone or shares a container, and the sailing options on that lane. Because we are the ocean carrier of record rather than a broker reselling space, the figure you get is the real one. Send us the details and we will price it.

A forty foot high cube typically takes two ordinary cars comfortably, and more with disassembly if you want it. A twenty foot container is built for one vehicle. Shipping two or more together brings the cost per car down substantially, so if you are buying more than one it is worth telling us before you bid.

We state plainly with every quote what is included and what is not. Charges at the Chilean port and any free zone formalities sit at the destination end and are commonly for the account of the consignee. Ask us at the quote stage and we will set it out in writing so there is nothing to discover later.

Yes, and there is real unused space around a vehicle inside a container. Parts, wheels, tires and boxed items all travel well there and add very little to the freight. Everything has to be declared before the container is sealed, so send us the inventory when you book rather than on loading day.

No. We are a licensed ocean carrier, we do not purchase vehicles on anyone's behalf, and we do not hold or provide auction account access. You buy in your own name through your own account and we collect the vehicle and ship it once it is paid for. Read how that works.

Yes, from any auction yard, dealer lot or private seller anywhere in the United States. The vehicle comes to our warehouse, where it is inspected and photographed on arrival, then prepared, loaded and secured. Arrange the collection at the same time you pay for the lot, because yard storage charges start sooner than most buyers expect.

The auction invoice or bill of sale, the title or ownership document, the vehicle identification number and full vehicle details, and your consignee details for the bill of lading. On the United States side we file the export declaration through the Automated Export System and issue your bill of lading. Clearance in Chile is handled by your own licensed customs agent.

The condition and history of the vehicle affect how it is treated at destination, and that assessment belongs to Chilean Customs and your agent there rather than to us. We can carry the vehicle and we will declare it accurately as what it is. What you should do is confirm with a licensed agent in Chile what your specific vehicle faces before you buy it.

Our service carries your cargo to the Chilean port named on the bill of lading. Movement beyond that, including the free zone formalities, inland transport and any border crossing, is arranged by you and the agents you appoint at destination. The corridors out of the northern free zones are well established, and buyers use them regularly, but that leg sits with you rather than with us.

At the Chilean port named on the bill of lading. Free zone formalities, clearance, duty and any onward transport are handled by your own licensed agent in Chile. We supply the bill of lading and the export documents your agent needs. Stating that boundary clearly at the quote stage is part of what makes these shipments go smoothly.

Yes, and Chile is a substantial market for used American machinery in mining support, construction and agriculture. The used vehicle rule concerns motor vehicles and machinery is a different question, with the treatment depending on the item. Compact machines containerize well and larger ones may need a flat rack. Tell us what the machine is and we will tell you how it moves.

Yes, full container loads of commercial goods, parts, equipment and general cargo all move on this lane regularly. Tell us what the cargo is, the volume or weight, the collection point in the United States and the port you want, and we will price it. Import treatment at the far end is a matter for your Chilean customs agent.

We are. Cassandra Logistics is a federally licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary under FMC licence OTI No. 025125NF, legally Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. doing business as Cassandra Logistics. The licence is public and verifiable with the Federal Maritime Commission, and on cargo of this value it is worth verifying whoever you are dealing with.

Within 24 to 48 hours in normal cases. We need the vehicle or cargo details, the collection location in the United States, the Chilean port you want and anything travelling alongside. Send those over and we will come back with a written figure.

Yes, within reason. Holding a vehicle at our warehouse while a document or a payment is settled is normally far cheaper than leaving it accruing charges at the auction yard. Tell us early if you expect a delay so that we can plan the space rather than find it on arrival.