How to calculate what a used car from China actually costs once it clears customs in your country.
2 min read
1. Start with FOB or CIF 2. Add your country's duty rate 3. Factor in shipping method 4. Confirm before you order
The FOB price on a listing is not what the car ultimately costs you — landed cost is FOB (or CIF) price plus your destination country's duty and any local clearance fees. Here is how to actually calculate it.
FOB covers the vehicle to the port of loading; CIF adds freight and insurance to your destination port. Get familiar with the difference first — see FOB vs CIF pricing explained — since it changes what you still need to add on to reach landed cost.
Duty rates vary widely by market. As an example, Nigeria's import guide lists its current duty rate and clearance port alongside age limit requirements — the same format is available for every market on our markets page.
Whether your vehicle ships by container or RoRo affects freight cost — see our container vs RoRo guide — and consolidating multiple vehicles in one container can reduce the per-vehicle freight share (details here).
Because duty rates and local fees change, always confirm current landed cost for your specific country before finalizing an order — see how do I get a price quote? for how we quote against your destination market.
