Classic Car Import Duties After July 24: What TGAL Customers Should Know Before Shipping

Published: August 6, 2026

If you are shipping a classic car into the United States after July 24, the first thing to know is simple: the shipping booking and the import entry are connected, but they are not the same job.

TGAL handles the ocean-shipping and logistics side. Duty, tariff coding, CBP entry, EPA, DOT, bond, POA, and state registration all need their own review. That is especially true for 25-year-old JDM and European classics, where buyers often hear one clean answer online and then discover five separate agencies still want their paperwork lined up.

The July 24 question is mainly a duty and tariff-review issue. It does not remove the normal import checklist. It does not create one duty rate for every classic. And it definitely does not mean the car should be booked first and sorted out later. That is how a dream car becomes port storage with wheels.

Quick answer: what duties apply after July 24?

For the common classic passenger-car imports TGAL customers ask about, the planning numbers after July 24 are:

• European Union classic passenger cars: generally 10% total duty under the post-July 24 combined-rate structure.
• Japanese classic passenger cars / JDM imports: generally 12.5% total duty.
• United Kingdom classic passenger cars: generally 12.5% total duty — the normal 2.5% passenger-car duty plus an additional 10% tariff layer.

Those are customer planning numbers, not a blanket guarantee. The final entry still has to match the vehicle’s HTS classification, country of origin, value, entry date, and any Chapter 99 tariff line CBP requires.

CBP’s normal base-duty categories are still important:

• Passenger cars: 2.5% base duty
• Trucks: 25% base duty
• Motorcycles: 2.4% or free, depending on classification

That means the “classic car duty after July 24” answer is not simply “2.5%.” For many classic passenger cars, the effective planning rate is now 10% from the EU or 12.5% from Japan or the UK. Trucks, motorcycles, parts shipments, race cars, kit cars, incomplete vehicles, and modified vehicles need their own classification review.

What did not change:

• A qualifying 25-year-old vehicle can still use the age-based DOT/NHTSA import path.
• EPA is still a separate declaration.
• CBP still needs a clean entry package.
• State title and registration still happen after federal import release.

So yes, if the title asks what the duties are, the article needs to say them clearly: EU classics are generally 10%; Japan and UK classics are generally 12.5%; passenger-car base duty is 2.5%; trucks are 25%; motorcycles are 2.4% or free depending on classification. Before a classic car ships, get that duty side checked against the actual entry facts. Not the seller’s forum post. Not a screenshot from three weeks ago. The actual vehicle file.

Shipping cost and duty cost are separate

A TGAL ocean quote normally deals with transportation: origin handling, ocean freight, port routing, documentation, marine insurance if requested, destination handling, and related logistics costs.

Import duty is different. Duty is handled through customs entry. It depends on how the vehicle is classified, where it was made, its condition, the date of entry, and whether any additional tariff provisions apply.

That means two classic cars on the same vessel can have different duty exposure. For example:

• A 1990s Japanese sports car may have one document pattern.
• A European classic may have different ownership and origin records.
• A modified or swapped-engine vehicle may need more EPA review.
• A truck, motorcycle, parts shipment, or incomplete vehicle may not follow the same treatment as a passenger car.

The safe framing is not “every classic is the same.” The safe framing is: start with the current planning rate by origin, then have the broker verify the full duty stack before the vehicle ships. For a typical classic passenger car, that means planning around 10% if it is EU-origin and 12.5% if it is Japan-origin or UK-origin, unless the broker confirms a different classification or tariff treatment.

If customs/import-entry help is needed, TGAL can coordinate the shipping plan and point customers to AWIS for customs broker guidance.

The 25-year DOT rule still matters

For many classic imports, the 25-year age rule is the main reason the vehicle can enter the U.S. without having to meet current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

But the 25-year rule is not based only on model year. The key issue is the vehicle’s date of manufacture. A car advertised as a 2001 model is not automatically eligible on January 1, 2026. The month and year matter.

Before booking ocean transport, confirm:

• Make, model, chassis number or VIN
• Month and year of manufacture
• Foreign title, registration, export certificate, or deregistration record
• Whether English translations are needed
• Whether the seller name, buyer name, and ownership documents match
• Whether the DOT HS-7 basis matches the vehicle facts

This is where a lot of avoidable problems start. The shipper thinks the car is old enough. The paperwork does not prove it cleanly. Then the shipment arrives and everyone starts learning customs procedure the expensive way.

EPA is a separate check

DOT eligibility and EPA eligibility are not the same thing.

Classic importers should review EPA before the car ships, especially if the vehicle has:

• Engine swaps
• Missing emissions labels
• Modified emissions equipment
• Race-use claims
• Rebuilt or incomplete condition
• A drivetrain that does not match the original vehicle record

EPA Form 3520-1 still needs to match the import basis. If the car is old enough for DOT but the EPA declaration is wrong, the shipment can still run into trouble.

The practical TGAL note: do not let the seller talk you into “just shipping it” if the engine facts are unclear. The ocean carrier is not going to solve EPA at the pier. That would be generous. Also fictional.

CBP entry documents still control release

CBP does not release a vehicle because it looks classic. The entry package has to support the import claim.

Before sailing, classic-car importers should gather:

1. Bill of sale or commercial invoice
2. Foreign registration, title, export certificate, or deregistration document
3. Bill of lading or booking details
4. VIN or chassis number confirmation
5. Manufacture-date support if the label or paperwork is unclear
6. DOT HS-7 declaration basis
7. EPA Form 3520-1 declaration basis
8. Broker power of attorney
9. Bond plan, if required
10. Duty and tariff estimate updated for the expected entry date
11. Cleaning details, especially undercarriage and agricultural inspection risk
12. State title and registration plan after release

Names and numbers need to match. A small typo on a chassis number can create a large amount of unpaid port storage. Logistics has a sense of humor, but it charges daily.

Why July 24 should trigger a fresh duty review

Before July 24, many classic passenger-car import estimates were using a broad 12.5% total planning number: the normal 2.5% passenger-car base duty plus the temporary 10% Section 122 surcharge.

After July 24, that changed. For common classic passenger-car imports, the practical planning numbers became:

• EU origin: 10% total
• Japan origin: 12.5% total
• UK origin: 12.5% total

That makes origin matter again. On an $80,000 vehicle, the difference between 10% and 12.5% is $2,000 in duty. Enough money to justify checking before bidding, wiring funds, or booking the sailing.

If you bought, quoted, or planned the shipment before July 24, do not assume the same duty estimate still applies after July 24.

A customs broker should review:

• HTS classification
• Country of origin
• Vehicle age and use status
• Whether the vehicle is a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, part, or something else
• Any Chapter 99 tariff instructions that apply at entry
• Whether Section 232, reciprocal tariff, or other special duty provisions apply or do not apply
• Whether the entry date changes the duty estimate

This review should happen before booking if possible, and definitely before the vehicle is loaded overseas.

For customers, the better question is not “what is the duty after July 24?” It is “what will CBP require for my specific vehicle on my actual entry date?”

State registration is not federal import release

This catches buyers after the car lands.

Federal import release means the vehicle cleared the federal import process. It does not mean your state will automatically title, register, inspect, or insure it.

States may ask for:

• Foreign title or registration
• Customs entry documents
• English translations
• VIN or chassis-number inspection
• Odometer statement or exemption handling
• Emissions inspection
• Safety inspection
• Proof of insurance
• Additional DMV forms for imported vehicles

Right-hand-drive vehicles, kei vehicles, diesels, modified cars, and non-standard VIN/chassis-number vehicles need extra caution. Some states are straightforward. Some are not. And some county offices will look at a Japanese export certificate like it arrived from Mars with a BOL.

Plan state registration before the car ships, not after it clears customs.

TGAL pre-shipping checklist for classic imports

Before TGAL books a classic car shipment into the U.S., customers should try to confirm:

• Exact vehicle identity: make, model, year, VIN/chassis number
• Date of manufacture, not just model year
• Seller and buyer names match the ownership and sale documents
• Foreign registration/export documents are available
• Translations are arranged if needed
• Vehicle condition is clear: running, non-running, modified, restored, incomplete, or parts
• EPA and DOT import bases are reviewed
• CBP broker has POA, bond plan, and entry instructions
• Duty/tariff estimate reflects post-July 24 entry timing
• No personal items or loose parts are being packed in the vehicle unless cleared in advance
• Undercarriage and interior are clean enough for import inspection risk
• Destination pickup plan is ready after release
• State title/registration path has been checked

That list is longer than anyone wants. It is still cheaper than fixing the wrong paperwork after the vessel arrives.

Bottom line before you ship

After July 24, classic car import duties should be checked carefully, not guessed.

The 25-year DOT path remains important for qualifying classics. EPA still stands on its own. CBP entry still controls release. Duty treatment depends on the actual vehicle, origin, classification, and entry date. State registration comes later and can create its own problems.

TGAL can help plan the shipping side so the vehicle moves on the right route with the right timing. When customs/import-entry review is needed, coordinate that before sailing with a licensed broker such as AWIS.

The cleanest import is the one where the paperwork is boring before the car ever leaves port.

Sources checked: CBP Importing a Motor Vehicle base-duty guidance; CBP CSMS #69326983 Section 301 Forced Labor Import Duties notice; CBP Section 232 Additional FAQs – Automobiles and Auto Parts; NHTSA Importation and Certification FAQs; EPA Publications and Forms for Importing Vehicles and Engines; prior AWIS July 24 classic-car duty/import-entry guidance.