How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car to Haiti?

Shipping a car to Haiti is really two bills: the boat ride from the United States, and the customs bill when the car lands. For the boat ride, car shipping to Haiti is reported at $1,200–$2,700 by A1 Auto Transport — a reported range, not a promise, because the price moves with the port you leave from, the size of the vehicle, and whether the car travels alone in a container or shares space.

You will also see lower starting points published by individual companies for certain services. CargoMax International, which picks up in Montreal and Toronto, publishes vehicle shipping by RoRo — roll-on, roll-off, where the car is driven onto the ship — from about $350. That is a starting point for a specific service, not the full cost of landing a car in Haiti. Read both numbers the right way: published starting points tell you where a conversation begins; the reported range tells you what people commonly end up paying for the sea trip before customs.

How much to ship a car from Florida to Haiti?

Florida is where most cars leave from, because Miami and Port Everglades sit closest to Haiti. Companies in South Florida — Miami & Fort Lauderdale that ship vehicles include Interworld Freight, Royal Shipping Lines and All Transport Depot Inc. — Royal Shipping Lines also ships boats and heavy equipment. Most vehicle shippers do not publish a car price, because it depends on the vehicle. Expect to be asked for the year, make, model, whether the car runs, and which port in Haiti it is going to, before anyone gives you a real number.

If a company gives you a car price in one breath, without asking anything about the car, be careful. A real quote needs details. Get the quote in writing, and ask what it includes: transport to the port, loading, the sea trip, and unloading — or only some of those.

What does the car travel in — RoRo or a container?

There are two common ways a car crosses. With RoRo, the car is driven on and off the ship. It is usually the simpler option, but the car must run and drive, and you normally cannot leave personal items inside it. In a container, the car is loaded and secured inside a steel box, sometimes alone and sometimes sharing with cargo or another vehicle. Families often prefer a container when they also want to send belongings with the car.

Container prices are published by some companies: Interworld Freight publishes $1,400–$2,000 for a 20ft container and $2,400–$3,200 for a 40ft container, and Latin American Cargo publishes $2,800–$5,200 for a 20ft container from its New Jersey base. Those are container prices, not car-only prices — if you share a container, your share is worked out with the company. Compare container options on the New York & New Jersey corridor page as well as in Florida before you decide where the car will leave from.

What will customs charge on the car in Haiti?

This is the bill that surprises people. On top of the general documented charges — a 5% verification fee, a 10% TCA turnover tax and a 2% CFGDCT contribution — used vehicles carry their own documented duties of 5–20%, plus a 10% tourist tax on used vehicles. The exact duty depends on the vehicle as customs assesses it, and the port and customs have the final word. Our step-by-step guide to clearing a car through customs in Haiti walks through the papers and the order of events, and the customs charges guide explains each charge in plain words.

Ask your shipping company, before the car sails, who handles clearing in Haiti and what they charge for that work. Some companies include a broker on the Haiti side; with others, your family hires one at the port. Either way, the person receiving the car needs money ready for the customs bill — a car that sits at the port while money is gathered can gather storage charges too.

How do you ship a car without regrets?

1. Get the car's papers in order first — you will need to prove the car is yours to ship. Our guide to the documents you need to ship to Haiti lists what companies commonly ask for.
2. Choose the port in Haiti with the person who will receive the car — Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien and Miragoâne do not serve the same families equally. Our port guide helps you choose.
3. Get two written quotes that include the same things, then compare the totals — not the first number each company says out loud.
4. Agree in writing who clears the car in Haiti, and send your receiver the money and the papers before the ship arrives.

Start by comparing vehicle shippers where you live: South Florida for Florida departures and Canada — Montreal & Toronto for Canadian ones, and check the frequently asked questions for the short version of the car-cost answer.