From Vladivostok, Russian Federation to Seattle, United States - October, 2011

On the Seattle, USA side, I used the customs broker services of:
Lisa Brooks
RADIANT GLOBAL LOGISTICS
405 114TH AVE SE, THIRD FLOOR
BELLEVUE, WA 98004
USA
Ph: +1-425-943-4549
Direct: +1 425-943-4511

Shipping by sea turned out to be much, much more expensive than I expected. Here's what I've learned: as a rough rule of thumb, it's less expensive to air freight if you're under 250 kg. Shipping by sea begins to make sense when: you can split the cost of a container with a lot of people, you have time, and you have a very large, heavy shipment (such as a car). When you ship by sea privately, you pay for an entire container, not for space or weight in a container.

A container out of Vladivostok to Seattle cost ~$5,000 USD. I split a container with another group shipping a car to Seattle. I paid Yuri $2,940 via a bank wire. He prefers USD if you pay in cash. My bill for port fees, inspections, and customs handling in Seattle was $590.

It took about three weeks for the container to cross the Pacific via South Korea. It took over a month to finally pick up the bike in the Seattle area.

The requirements for the motorcycle were: fuel had to be in the reserve range of the tank and the bike had to be very clean for US Customs - mud on the bike creates a potential biological threat from bacteria or insects. Customs takes this seriously, I've heard. I did not have to disconnect the battery. The motorcycle was shipped "loose" in the container, i.e. uncrated, but strapped in. I did not have to provide straps and a shipping agent strapped the bike down.

In Russia, I needed to provide scans of my: passport and visa, vehicle title, vehicle registration, customs declaration, and immigration card. Yuri handled the paperwork in Vladivostok. He took me in to the customs office to sign a few documents and that was it. In the US, I needed to provide scans of my: passport, vehicle title, vehicle registration. I signed forms for US customs power of attorney and customs declaration so Lisa could process the bike. Lisa provided the forms. Don't worry about the paperwork - your agent will tell you what you need and provide the rest.

I contacted Yuri based on recommendations from the HUB. He was easy to work with, speaks excellent English, and knows how to get things shipped. I think his prices are a little higher than others, but his service is very good. I would do business with Yuri again. He also knew where the Mix Mix Hostel was, which saved me considerable money. Hotels in Vladivostok are not cheap. Lonley Planet does not list any hostels in Vladivostok. Check out www.mixmix-hostels.com or vlad...@mm-hostels.com

The group shipping their car was using Radiant Global Logistics, so I used them as well. I had no problems.

Your alternative to shipping directly into or out of Vladivostok is to go through South Korea via ferry. The Dong Chun Ferry from Vladivostok to Sokcho no longer operates. The only ferry is DBS Cruise Ferry going from Vladivostok to Donghae. As of the fall of 2011, the price for a passenger with a motorcycle is ~$1,000. In Seoul, I contacted Hyosil Lee of Borg Air Sea Transport, Inc. (+82-2-757-9181). Although I did not use her services to air freight my bike, she would be the one I would call again. She was responsive and provided helpful information.