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Author: WendyBG   😊 😞
Number: of 4163 
Subject: Car importing rules?
Date: 05/29/26 12:20 PM
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I drive a 2017 Subaru Impreza with about 25,000 miles so I don't expect to ever need to buy another car.

But I'm curious.

If I wanted to buy a car over the border in Canada (including a Chinese-made car) or Mexico and drive it home what would be the car importing rules?

I'm a libertarian in many ways so I don't think government should get involved in a personal buying decision but I know that's naive.

Wendy
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Author: Steve203 🐝  😊 😞
Number: of 4163 
Subject: Re: Car importing rules?
Date: 05/29/26 1:30 PM
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If I wanted to buy a car over the border in Canada (including a Chinese-made car) or Mexico and drive it home what would be the car importing rules?

If the car is less than 25 years old, it needs to be certified compliant with US safety and emissions regs, to be registered in the US.

Then there is the pretty well scrambled tariffs.

In a flight of fancy, I considered importing a vintage VW from Brazil. There are companies that do turnkey service for that, and old cars are not subject to US regs. I started following "Kombi Warriors" which is one of the exporting companies, on FB. One day, they posted a pic of a Toyota HiLux pickup they were loading, bound for Houston. With the court overturning some of the US' country specific tariffs, I wondered what the current total hit is, so I asked them. Current total US tariff load on a car from Brazil is 52%.

I'm a libertarian in many ways so I don't think government should get involved in a personal buying decision but I know that's naive.

Well, when you are talking about a car, you are using public roads and public air, that are shared with other people, so it becomes the government's business.

Steve
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Author: jerryab   😊 😞
Number: of 80419 
Subject: Re: Car importing rules?
Date: 05/29/26 8:01 PM
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If I wanted to buy a car over the border in Canada (including a Chinese-made car) or Mexico and drive it home what would be the car importing rules?

Register the car in Canada and then drive it in the US as needed (as a Canadian tourist). Verify any Mexican-built car you want is legal in Canada. Return to Canada as appropriate ("return home"). Canadian residence already established, so no big deal.
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Author: Steve203 🐝  😊 😞
Number: of 80419 
Subject: Re: Car importing rules?
Date: 05/29/26 9:18 PM
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Canadian residence already established, so no big deal.

Wendy is a legal Canadian resident now? Last I knew, she was living in Sequim, WA.

Steve
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Author: jerryab   😊 😞
Number: of 80419 
Subject: Re: Car importing rules?
Date: 05/30/26 11:49 AM
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Canadian residence already established, so no big deal.

Wendy is a legal Canadian resident now? Last I knew, she was living in Sequim, WA.


Heather (daughter) owns property in Canada. Wendy can use that as the address of the owner of the car. Or she could buy property in Canada (vacation/investment property?). So, Canadian car. When in Canada, she can drive that car--and travel to the US as she chooses using that car.
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