How to import heavy equipment from the USA

The short version

Importing used heavy equipment from the USA has four stages: choose and verify the machine, agree an all-in price and terms, let the exporter move it to a US port and onto a vessel, then clear it through your own customs with the documents supplied. A first shipment typically takes 4-8 weeks door to port.

Step 1: Choose and verify the machine

Work from live stock (like our stock list) or request sourcing to spec. Before paying anything, get full photo sets, a walk-around video, and the service history. For higher-value machines, commission a third-party inspection - see our remote inspection guide.

Step 2: Agree the price and terms

Insist on an all-in quote to your named port (CFR or CIF). It should include:

• The machine at the agreed specification
• Inland transport from the machine's location to the export port
• Export documentation and customs clearance on the US side
• Loading, lashing and ocean freight to your port

Step 3: Shipping from the USA

The exporter chooses the port nearest the machine and the cheapest suitable method - container, Ro-Ro or break-bulk (compared in detail in our shipping methods guide). Typical ocean transit times from US East/Gulf coast ports:

Step 4: Documents and clearance at your end

You (or your customs broker) clear the machine at your port using the document set the exporter provides:

• Commercial invoice - basis for duty valuation
• Packing list - what physically shipped, weights and dimensions
• Bill of lading - proof of shipment; the original releases the cargo
• Certificate of origin - where your country requires it
• Title documents - for on-road trucks

Scanned copies should reach you before the vessel sails, originals by courier. Some countries additionally require pre-shipment inspection (PSI) certificates - arrange this before loading, not after.

Common first-timer mistakes

• Comparing machine-only prices against all-in quotes - always compare landed cost
• Skipping inspection to save a few hundred dollars on a machine costing tens of thousands
• Not checking local age/emissions import limits before buying
• Leaving the original bill of lading uncollected - demurrage at port adds up daily