What a car from the USA really costs, in total

A 9,000 € listing on a US auction platform looks like a good deal — but it’s only the starting point. By the time the car reaches Chisinau, shipping, our fee and customs all add to it. Without those numbers laid out from the start, the budget grows along the way, not at the end.

What makes up the total cost

• The car’s price — what you paid at auction or to a dealer, in the currency of purchase.
• Shipping — from the place of purchase to Chisinau: ocean freight (RoRo or container), plus the final road leg.
• Our fee — fixed, regardless of the car’s price.
• Customs duties — duty, processing and excise, calculated from engine size, fuel type and age; some vehicle categories also add VAT.

What can change the final amount

• Age and engine size — excise duty rises with engine size and also with the age of the car (a 15-year-old car pays several times what a 3-year-old one does).
• Title type — a “salvage” or “rebuilt” title, common on US auction platforms, can mean a lower purchase price, but calls for a closer look at the car’s real condition before you bid.
• Exchange rate — duties are calculated at the rate on the day of customs clearance, not the day of purchase.

To run the numbers for your own car, try the import calculator.

A concrete example

Here’s what it looks like for a petrol car from 2019, bought for 9,000 € and brought in from the USA: