fees to temporarily import my bike in U.S ?
 

Hello!

I am planning a 4 month trip to the USA in early 2011. I will send my motorcycle (BMW R80 G/S) by boat from Le Havre (France) to Miami.

I'm looking for information concerning the amount to pay for the costs of unloading at the port and customs for temporary import my bike in the USA.

Thank you.

Have you considered flying the bike ?

You have more of a guarantee of arrival. Also all fees will be included in the flight, and may well work out a lot cheaper.

If using a sea route, you may get there before the bike and have a long wait.

Find the address of Customs at the port of entry . Ussualy they have 2 offices , one forthe airport or the port . Use the one where your cargo would arrive.

Customs is free of charge. You only pay to the Cargo shipping co. what is call AMS, ussually $35 dollars if aircargo or around $100 ocean cargo. As long you clear your bike during the grace period free of storage (3-5 days) given by the cargo co.

My advice is go the next day oft he ship or airplane arrival. Have your B/L endorsed by the Ocean cargo or the airwaybill ofr the Air cargo.
Then go to Customs office, near these facilities, fill the unaccompanied form with them . It takes 5 minutes and they work 24/7 both.
Comeback to the cargo warehouse , pay them and take your vehicle

Hi Siliguri

We shipped our UK registered bikes from Southampton (UK) to Baltimore at the beginning of April for £575 each. The unloading fees charged by the shipper was around $130 for both bikes and we did the customs clearing ourself at no cost. The only other cost we had (and I think that this applies to all US ports since 9/11) is that we were not allowed into the docks unescorted so had to pay for an escort at $60 per hour. We managed to get our paperwork done pretty quick and hadnto pay her around $75 in total for just over an hour (but we also got her to pick us up from our hotel and take us to the port).

As for arriving before the bikes and having to wait - the simple answer there is to leave your home country later and arrive just a day or so before the bike. We had no problems with US clearance other than intially finding out how it all fitted together.

Martin

Thank you strimstrum for your message.:thumbup1: