Ship a car or container from the USA to Dubai and the UAE

It depends on the US pickup location, the container size, and how many vehicles you are moving. This is one of the highest-volume lanes we run, and buyers shipping several cars at once see the sharpest per-unit savings. Because we are a direct NVOCC rather than a broker, the rate is the carrier rate. Get a free quote in 24 to 48 hours.

Fill the container and book direct. Ocean freight is charged on the box rather than per vehicle, so three or four cars in a 40ft container costs dramatically less per car than one shipped alone. For anyone buying regularly for the re-export trade, consolidating purchases onto single bookings is the single largest lever on your margin.

Usually because they are broker quotes that get revised once the booking is real, or they exclude pickup, towing, loading or the export filing. On a lane with this much competition there are a lot of intermediaries reselling the same space. Ask any cheaper quote in writing what is excluded and who issues the bill of lading.

It scales with distance from the auction yard or seller to our loading warehouse in New Jersey, Savannah, Houston, or Baltimore. For buyers sourcing at volume it is worth thinking about auction location as part of the cost, not just the hammer price. We include the figure in the quote.

Not automatically, and the decision should follow your business rather than a small freight difference. Sharjah sits at the centre of the regional re-export trade, so if the car is going onward it may make sense. Jebel Ali is the larger container gateway. We price both and let you choose on the merits.

Customs duty, VAT, port handling, your customs broker's fee, inspection and registration if the car is staying, and modification costs if a non-GCC vehicle needs work. These are charged at that end. Our quote covers the US side and the ocean leg.

A car being registered in the Emirates must satisfy specification, age and conformity requirements and go through inspection and registration. A car being re-exported is passing through, and the requirements are commercial rather than technical: trade licence, customs codes and documentation. Decide which one you are doing before you buy the vehicle.

Reporting on UAE practice indicates that right-hand-drive vehicles may be brought in for re-export but not for local registration, which requires left-hand drive. American vehicles are left-hand drive, so this is not a constraint on US-sourced stock. It is worth understanding because it shapes what the regional yards actually hold.

Reporting indicates that importing for resale requires a trade licence together with a customs business code and an import code, while individuals with UAE residence can import for personal use. If you intend to run a re-export operation, that structure should exist before the first container arrives rather than being sorted out afterwards.

Deep port infrastructure, established trading networks reaching Africa, Central Asia and the wider Middle East, and a large regional repair trade that can economically restore vehicles other markets would reject. That combination is why a significant share of US auction stock ends up passing through the Emirates rather than stopping there.

Reporting on UAE practice indicates that used vehicles more than around ten years old generally require pre-approval and may be restricted, while vehicles over thirty years old can qualify as classics with a special permit. Because these thresholds are administered by emirate-level authorities and change, confirm the current position with your broker before buying.

They are the Gulf Cooperation Council standards covering safety, emissions and climate suitability. Reporting indicates that vehicles not built to Gulf specification typically require a conformity certificate before registration, and may need modification such as enhanced cooling. American-market cars are frequently non-GCC specification, so budget for this if the car is staying in the Emirates.

Reporting indicates that vehicles over thirty years old can qualify as classics with a special permit from the relevant authority, which is a different route from the ordinary import path. Classic and collector cars are a growing segment in the Emirates. We ship them in enclosed or sole-use containers. Read the classic car guide.

Customs is federal but each emirate has its own traffic and registration authority, and reporting indicates registration fees, processing times and document requirements can differ between them. Whichever emirate you are registering in is the one whose current requirements matter, so ask your broker rather than assuming Dubai practice applies everywhere.

Yes, and this is one of the highest-volume auction lanes in the world. We collect directly from Copart, IAA, Manheim and eBay Motors yards anywhere in the USA through our nationwide vehicle pickup and towing service, load at our warehouse and ship to Jebel Ali, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi.

Salvage and rebuilt stock forms a substantial part of this lane, because the regional repair trade is deep and the onward re-export markets accept vehicles that stricter destinations reject. Whether a specific vehicle can be registered in the Emirates is a different question from whether it can enter for re-export. Be clear which you intend.

The vehicle cannot be exported until the title or equivalent ownership document is in hand, since the US export filing requires it. We can collect and hold the car at our warehouse while the title clears, which stops auction storage charges accumulating. Flag it at quote stage and we plan around it.

Yes, and most of our clients on this lane do. Some auction platforms restrict public bidding and require a registered broker or business account, which is between you and the auction. Once the vehicle is won and paid for, we handle collection, loading, export filing and ocean transport.

Yes. Nationwide vehicle pickup and towing from any state is part of the service. A car at a yard in California, a dealer in Florida or a private seller in Ohio all get collected and brought to whichever of our four warehouses suits the routing. Distance affects cost, not availability.

Typically three or four depending on the vehicles. Sedans and compact SUVs load efficiently while full-size American pickup trucks take more room. For volume buyers the loading plan is worth optimising deliberately, because a car more or less per container changes your economics across a year.

Yes, consolidation is available and it suits buyers purchasing one vehicle at a time. It splits the container cost rather than paying for unused space. The timing of both shipments needs to align, so mention it early in the booking.

Our core service is containerized export, which protects the vehicle and lets you consolidate several cars into one booking. Container is also what makes the per-vehicle cost fall when you ship more than one. For high-value or restorable stock, containers reduce the handling that causes damage claims.

Sometimes, but everything must be declared on the export filing and it affects treatment at destination. Undeclared goods packed inside vehicles are one of the most common causes of clearance problems anywhere in the Gulf, and the consequence falls on the importer. Send us the full inventory before loading.

Yes, and this lane is where volume arrangements make the most sense. Regular buyers benefit from planned sailings, consistent loading practice and a single accountable carrier rather than a different intermediary each time. Tell us your expected monthly volume and we will structure around it.

Yes. Used American machinery moves into Gulf construction and into the regional re-export trade. We export excavators, loaders and dozers bought at Ritchie Bros., IronPlanet and Purple Wave, shipping containerized, on flat-rack or by heavy haulage depending on dimensions. Read the equipment guide.

Container shipping allows a vehicle and household effects to travel together, which suits people relocating. Everything must be declared properly, and the household goods and the vehicle may be treated differently at clearance. Tell us the full contents at quote stage so it is filed correctly from the start.

We handle the US side, including the filing in the Automated Export System, known as AES or EEI. You provide the title or auction certificate and the bill of sale. UAE customs duty, VAT, conformity and registration are handled at destination by your licensed broker, and we supply the documentation they need.

No. Clearance is handled by a licensed customs broker in the Emirates, and registration is a separate process through the relevant emirate authority. We are the ocean carrier, we deliver to the port of discharge, and we provide the paperwork your broker needs. Be cautious with anyone claiming to clear customs everywhere.

It depends on the US loading port, the carrier schedule and any transshipment, and East Coast and West Coast departures behave quite differently on this route. We give a concrete timeline with your quote rather than a generic range, because on a volume lane predictability matters more than a headline number.

We are the NVOCC. Cassandra Logistics is a federally licensed Ocean Transportation Intermediary under FMC license OTI No. 025125NF, legally Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. DBA Cassandra Logistics. The licence number is public and verifiable with the Federal Maritime Commission before you send anyone money.