Average shipping cost from China to UK?

nikkiss

Finding my (electric) wheels
Sep 3, 2019
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2
Does anyone has ordered ebike from China? if yes what was the shipping fee you paid? how was it shipped? any other "hidden" expenses? import taxes etc?
 
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Nealh

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Aug 7, 2014
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With the weight and size you will definitely get caught for duty and vat, possibly anti dumping tax to pay as well even on a single purchase.
More knowledgeable answer will likely come from Woosh's input.
 

Woosh

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May 19, 2012
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Does anyone has ordered ebike from China? if yes what was the shipping fee you paid? how was it shipped? any other "hidden" expenses? import taxes etc?
parts are OK to import, assembled bikes? no, don't go there.
Assembled bikes are subject to anti-dumping duty of 87% unless your supplier is on the list of collaborators to the EU. Those are companies that helped the EU case and disclosed all their production costs and subsidies received from the Chinese government. They are charged at the reduced anti-dumping rate of 37%.
If you still insist to import your special bike, you can't take the whole container so you have to go sea freight. The simplest way then is to ask your supplier to quote door to door price.
The total costs are:
- goods + insurance + freight (known as CIF price)
- duty on e-bike: 6% on CIF
- anti-dumping duty: 87% on CIF
- VAT on the total: 20%
- customs declaration: £10-£30

for a bike costing £1000 CIF, the total cost, assuming you do everything by the book is £2,326-£2,346

The usual known cheat is called trans-shipping. The bike is shipped to a third party somewhere like Morocco where there is no anti-dumping duty. The third party replaced the carton and ship it on as their own goods to you. You don't pay anti-dumping duty. If you are caught, it's £2,500 fine per bike.
 
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Kwozzymodo

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Sep 9, 2017
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If you order the parts, duty will be around 3.2-3.5%, and don’t forget you will need to pay 20% VAT on the cost of parts, duty payable and shipping costs. Shipping costs can vary considerably, depending on the carrier. You may be able to get the carrier to quote CIF, otherwise the goods are held at the point of import until you pay the fees, at which point they will be delivered.
 

nikkiss

Finding my (electric) wheels
Sep 3, 2019
9
2
parts are OK to import, assembled bikes? no, don't go there.
Assembled bikes are subject to anti-dumping duty of 87% unless your supplier is on the list of collaborators to the EU. Those are companies that helped the EU case and disclosed all their production costs and subsidies received from the Chinese government. They are charged at the reduced anti-dumping rate of 37%.
If you still insist to import your special bike, you can't take the whole container so you have to go sea freight. The simplest way then is to ask your supplier to quote door to door price.
The total costs are:
- goods + insurance + freight (known as CIF price)
- duty on e-bike: 6% on CIF
- anti-dumping duty: 87% on CIF
- VAT on the total: 20%
- customs declaration: £10-£30

for a bike costing £1000 CIF, the total cost, assuming you do everything by the book is £2,326-£2,346

The usual known cheat is called trans-shipping. The bike is shipped to a third party somewhere like Morocco where there is no anti-dumping duty. The third party replaced the carton and ship it on as their own goods to you. You don't pay anti-dumping duty. If you are caught, it's £2,500 fine per bike.
well, I was quoted by the supplier about 850 USD by air freight including all taxes except vat. they told me that is not possible to ship by sea freight because is a single item. the value of the bike is around 500 USD
 

Nealh

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Aug 7, 2014
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well, I was quoted by the supplier about 850 USD by air freight including all taxes except vat. they told me that is not possible to ship by sea freight because is a single item. the value of the bike is around 500 USD
UK customs will then apply vat and the anti- dumping applied on top.
 

peter.c

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Apr 24, 2018
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thurrock essex
Woosh saved me a fortune with another thread:), I was about to buy import a trike from a supplier on the naughty list the initial cost was £1350 ouch plus shipping of 650-850 [had to be on its own pallet as could not be flat packed] once all the duty anti dumping vat etc added to the total the cost had more than doubled:mad: purchase canceled
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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does the antidumping charge also the shipping cost or only the value of the ebike?
It might do as it is part of the overall cost.
 

peter.c

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Apr 24, 2018
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The small print on all of this covers the seller ,once you place the order its buyer beware even on a single bike purchase ,several frey mid drives on ebay in the uk at premium prices up to £3995 well above the fob price in china
 

nikkiss

Finding my (electric) wheels
Sep 3, 2019
9
2
The small print on all of this covers the seller ,once you place the order its buyer beware even on a single bike purchase ,several frey mid drives on ebay in the uk at premium prices up to £3995 well above the fob price in china
for chinese bikes?
 

peter.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2018
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491
thurrock essex
Yes for Chinese bikes the price quoted does not include all the charges imposed at this end:mad:, anti dumping up to 80 % and vat 20% on the total which are the bulk of the tax and are additional to the sale price :( and require payment of handling charges too Ebay/Amazon- couriers become tax collectors
Check out the anti dumping thread on here for more details Woosh explains this in a post above
 

Andy-Mat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 26, 2018
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Does anyone has ordered ebike from China? if yes what was the shipping fee you paid? how was it shipped? any other "hidden" expenses? import taxes etc?
I paid €200 for transport and import taxes for a Stark bike, I hope that helps.
But remember, its also a function of the value of the bike. The more expensive it is, the more import taxes.
If you know the price, the seller must know the transport costs, and HM customs can tell you the rest!
Andy
 

Woosh

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May 19, 2012
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wooshbikes.co.uk
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I paid €200 for transport and import taxes for a Stark bike, I hope that helps.
But remember, its also a function of the value of the bike. The more expensive it is, the more import taxes.
If you know the price, the seller must know the transport costs, and HM customs can tell you the rest!
Andy
Was that to ship a bike from China to the UK and did it include the 80% anti dumping tariff and 20% VAT?

If so it must have been a very cheap bike, around £200 or less!
 

Chainring

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2013
328
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Does anyone has ordered ebike from China? if yes what was the shipping fee you paid? how was it shipped? any other "hidden" expenses? import taxes etc?
This was a route I looked at, but it all seemed a bit dubious. I ended-up buying a frame from AliExpress, as I could find nothing in this country. That was five years ago, and I've learned a lot since then! This firm in Germany sells frames: https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/cube-hyde-pro-frame-black-n-blue-695500 If you add a kit from Woosh, you end up with the bike you want and no warranty problems. It seems Wisper are close to this method, as they give you the option to choose what you want in a bike.
 

PhilMK42

Finding my (electric) wheels
Oct 15, 2020
14
8
Bedford
Sorry to resurrect this .... has leaving the EU changed anything, or are we, the UK, still subject to the anti dumping tax like Europe? TIA
 

Nealh

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Aug 7, 2014
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For now anti dumping remains, it is too soon to ruffle the feathers of the unelected EU.
 
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PhilMK42

Finding my (electric) wheels
Oct 15, 2020
14
8
Bedford
For now anti dumping remains, it is too soon to ruffle the feathers of the unelected EU.
Yes, I’ve been reading about this today. Like many, I had no idea of the complexities of trying to import a bike from China. Shame, I’ve seen some really appealing bafang equipped cargo bikes that have caught my eye.

I gather Brompton, friends to various politicians, are the ones firmly behind the ebike anti dumping tariffs.

I would have thought affordable Cargo bikes would have been the tipping point for many to invest and leave the car at home, which is apparently what HMGov want. I wonder if Gilligan and Johnston will remove it over the next year?

Meanwhile I’ll drool over the array of steeds on Alibaba. I don’t suppose you’d fancy sourcing something similar for your outlet Woosh ?! :)
 

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Chainring

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2013
328
158
Yes, I’ve been reading about this today. Like many, I had no idea of the complexities of trying to import a bike from China. Shame, I’ve seen some really appealing bafang equipped cargo bikes that have caught my eye.

I gather Brompton, friends to various politicians, are the ones firmly behind the ebike anti dumping tariffs.

I would have thought affordable Cargo bikes would have been the tipping point for many to invest and leave the car at home, which is apparently what HMGov want. I wonder if Gilligan and Johnston will remove it over the next year?

Meanwhile I’ll drool over the array of steeds on Alibaba. I don’t suppose you’d fancy sourcing something similar for your outlet Woosh ?! :)
Yes, I put 'pizza delivery bike' in to AliBaba only yesterday, and there are so many really practical machines available. But as Mr Woosh says, the anti-dumping duty on complete bikes makes it hopeless. Now importing frames may be a different matter.....
 
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