MYRONCARS · CHINA CAR EXPORT PLATFORM BY MYRON TRADE

Importing a Chinese Car to Europe in 2025: A Practical Guide with Real Numbers

A step-by-step explanation of how importing a Chinese car to Europe really works in practice – from choosing the car in China and loading it into a container, to duty, VAT and real landed costs for models like Denza N9, Yangwang U8, Xiaomi YU7, Voyah Taishan, BYD Leopard, Song Plus, Seal 05, Chery Tiggo 9, Leapmotor C11 and others.

2025 · Chinese cars to EU
Real landed cost examples
Myron Trade · MyronCars

➜ Open EU import calculator

Calculate FOB, freight, duty and VAT for your own Chinese car in a few clicks.

Who is behind this guide

My name is Marad Abdulllaev. I am the director of Myron Trade and founder of the
MyronCars project. I have been doing business in China for more than 15 years,
and for the last five years my focus has been exporting cars from China to Europe.
Myron Trade holds its own export licence: we buy cars in China, prepare all export documents and ship them
directly to European ports.

This article explains how importing a Chinese car to Europe really works in practice. No theory
and no “maybe” – just the real process, real documents and real landed costs for popular models
such as Denza N9, Denza Z9 GT, Yangwang U8, Xiaomi YU7, Voyah Taishan, BYD Leopard, Song Plus, Seal 05, Chery
Tiggo 9, Leapmotor C11 and others.

At the end you will find a link to our China Car Import Calculator for the EU, which uses the
same logic we apply when preparing quotations for clients.

Calculator: https://en.myron-trade.com/china-car-import-calculator-eu/

1. From Chinese dealer to EU port: how the process works

1.1. Choosing and buying the car in China

The journey starts with the car itself:

You (or we on your behalf) find a vehicle on Chinese platforms or at an authorised dealer: Denza, BYD,
Yangwang, Xiaomi, Voyah, Chery, Leapmotor, Beijing Auto and many others.
Myron Trade checks the dealer, confirms that the car is real, available and not a fake advert.
We agree the exact specification, colour, options and final price in CNY.
We sign a purchase contract with the supplier and fix the delivery time.

For buyers in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Poland, Lithuania and other European countries,
Myron Trade acts as the single responsible exporter: we buy the car in China, prepare it for
export and ship it to Europe.

1.2. Registration and export preparation

Depending on the model and export scheme, the car may:

be registered in China and then deregistered for export, or
go straight to export as a brand-new vehicle without Chinese plates.

At this stage we collect and prepare:

Chinese purchase documents and tax invoices;
the Chinese vehicle registration certificate (the “green book”) or technical passport;
a Chinese quality certificate;
a detailed packing list;
an export contract and commercial invoice for the European buyer;
a Certificate of Origin issued in China.

All key Chinese documents are translated into English (or another EU language if needed) through a certified
translation company. These translations are accepted by customs brokers and registration offices across the EU.

1.3. Loading cars into a container

We usually ship from Shanghai or Guangzhou.

Cars are loaded into 40-foot containers:

for sedans and compact cars, up to three vehicles can fit into one container;
for larger SUVs and crossovers, typically two vehicles per container.

Inside the container, cars are fixed on frames and strapped down. Wheels, body and paintwork are protected so
that the vehicle arrives in Europe in the same condition as it left China.

1.4. Ocean freight to Europe

From China we ship to the main European ports:

Rotterdam (Netherlands) – one of the largest container ports in the world, a favourite for
customs clearance and onward transport to Germany, Belgium, France and other EU states.
Hamburg (Germany) – another important hub used by many of our clients.

Some customers prefer to complete customs clearance not in the main seaport but at inland customs points or
specialised terminals in Germany, where procedures may be more flexible.

Typical sea transit time from China to Europe is 5–7 weeks. Together with preparation in China
and customs in Europe you should normally plan around 7–9 weeks from purchase to collection.

2. Documents you receive for customs and registration

When your Chinese car arrives in Europe, you or your customs broker receive a complete set of documents from
Myron Trade:

Export contract between you and Myron Trade;
Commercial invoice in EUR or USD;
Packing list with VIN numbers and container data;
Chinese vehicle registration certificate or technical passport (“green book”);
Chinese quality certificate;
Certificate of Origin;
Certified translations of the key Chinese documents.

With this package you can clear the car in Rotterdam, Hamburg or any other EU port of entry,
and then register it in your country – whether that is Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Poland, Lithuania
or another European state, subject to local technical and homologation rules.

3. What you really pay in Europe: duty, VAT and local charges

Rates change over time and differ from country to country, but the
structure of payments is the same across the European Union.

3.1. Import duty on Chinese cars

For passenger cars coming from outside the EU, the standard import duty is 10% of the customs value.

The customs value normally includes:

the FOB price of the vehicle (car price in China plus local transport, export paperwork and port handling),
and in some schemes also freight and insurance.

Duty is paid in EUR at the EU port of entry (for example, Rotterdam or Hamburg) using the
official exchange rate on the day of customs clearance.

3.2. VAT in the country of import

After duty, you pay import VAT in the country where the car is cleared:

Germany: 19%
Netherlands: 21%
Lithuania: 21%
Poland: 23%
France, Italy and others: according to the local VAT rate.

VAT is charged on the customs value plus duty (and usually freight and insurance). It is paid at the moment the
car is released, based on an invoice from your customs agency.

For private individuals, VAT is normally not recoverable.
For companies with a valid VAT number, VAT can often be deducted in their VAT return, just
like for other imports.

3.3. Excise duty and local services – example: Poland

Some EU states charge an additional excise tax on passenger vehicles. In Poland, current example
rates are:

0% – electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids up to 2.0L;
0% – historic or collectors’ vehicles;
1.55% – hybrids up to 2.0L;
3.1% – petrol/diesel cars up to 2.0L;
9.3% – HEV and plug-in hybrids above 2.0L;
18.6% – petrol/diesel cars above 2.0L.

Excise is paid to the tax office by the car owner after customs clearance.

Typical additional services in Poland:

Transport from port to home – from 2500 PLN;
Translation of documents – from 500 PLN;
Expert opinion / technical inspection – from 500 PLN;
Excise declaration – from 180 PLN.

Other countries (Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Lithuania, etc.) have their own registration taxes,
CO₂-based fees and administrative charges. Your local customs agent or registration specialist will explain those
details; our role as exporter is to provide clean documentation and a transparent cost structure.

4. Real landed costs for popular Chinese models in Europe

Below are example calculations from our internal
FOB Shanghai / Guangzhou & EU Import Cost Calculator.

All figures are per car, in EUR, and include:

vehicle price FOB in China,
typical ocean freight,
marine insurance,
10% import duty,
and import VAT.

These examples show what Chinese electric cars, plug-in hybrids and SUVs really cost once they are in Europe.
Exact figures will depend on exchange rates, final vehicle specification and local rules at the time of import.