Importing a cars to ecuador

A while back i had thought about shipping vehicles to Ecuador...with landcruiser running close to 80k in ecuador and 45k in the US I figured i couldnt go wrong...well this year it seems that Correa in his infinite wisdom in the economy (much sarcasm) has hiked up the taxes and duties on importing, as if they were already not high enough....from what I understand anything over 35k will be taxed 100%...meaning one for me, one for Correa...right. Bastard!

Well I gave up on the plan until recent when my brother-in-law contacted me looking for help shipping a Mercedes into Ecuador in the next 12 months.

His interest now gives me an opportunity. He works as a attorney for the president in some capacity so I am confident that I wont arrive at the port and be told by customs "...what cars"

So now that just leaves all the complicated stuff!

I figure I will rent a 45' shipping container and send 2 mercedes c-class. Basicaly I just have to keep cost below 70k and I should be able to sell the extra car for a nice profit.

Anyone have experience with this.

Mercedes wont let me ship anything that is 2008 aka current year models (I still dont understand how they would ever know...if i buy it i can do as I want with it...if I buy a mercedes benz..can i not drive to canada)

bassicaly we decided on mercedes b/c it has the most support in quito...try finding parts for your porche)

Maybe the new taxes only apply to new cars..what if it is a year old and 1 mile on it.

Anyone wanna chime in with some input here?

bump!...anyone?

mwe wrote:

A while back i had thought about shipping vehicles to Ecuador...with landcruiser running close to 80k in ecuador and 45k in the US I figured i couldnt go wrong...well this year it seems that Correa in his infinite wisdom in the economy (much sarcasm) has hiked up the taxes and duties on importing, as if they were already not high enough....from what I understand anything over 35k will be taxed 100%...meaning one for me, one for Correa...right. Bastard!
Well I gave up on the plan until recent when my brother-in-law contacted me looking for help shipping a Mercedes into Ecuador in the next 12 months.
His interest now gives me an opportunity. He works as a attorney for the president in some capacity so I am confident that I wont arrive at the port and be told by customs "...what cars"
So now that just leaves all the complicated stuff!
I figure I will rent a 45' shipping container and send 2 mercedes c-class. Basicaly I just have to keep cost below 70k and I should be able to sell the extra car for a nice profit.
Anyone have experience with this.
Mercedes wont let me ship anything that is 2008 aka current year models (I still dont understand how they would ever know...if i buy it i can do as I want with it...if I buy a mercedes benz..can i not drive to canada)
bassicaly we decided on mercedes b/c it has the most support in quito...try finding parts for your porche)
Maybe the new taxes only apply to new cars..what if it is a year old and 1 mile on it.
Anyone wanna chime in with some input here?

You are taking a big risk buddy. Once you get there they can pretty much do whatever they want. Including confiscate the car unless you pay huge "taxes" and import "tarrifs". The legal system is tedious and almost non-existant. An attorney service can nclude bribing customs officials for you, and they charge US dollars.

There is a reason basic goods are so expensive and scarce and that is pretty much it. Good luck.

I have thought of similar transactions but have been very fearful of the risk. You need to have strong connections to avoid the import tax and still the risks are great. There are people who are allowed to import cars to Ecuador with no import duty.....who...diplomats, disabled, and expatriates. So there is a underground market where people lian ke the ones mentioned above sell their importation sports (coupos). E.G. A disbled person that cannot afford can import a car for someone else then sell it to them for a small profit. Diplomats can do this as well. They are usually allowed spots every 4-5 years. Its tedious and the more I looked into it the more I felt it was a risk not worth taking. The only reason I even started the investigation was because I wanted to drive from the US to Ecuador (ship from panama to colombia).

Only cars no older than one year can be imported. An Ecuadorian non-profit can import cars older than one year. If you need and attorney let me know and I'll put in touch with one.

oops, the car must be brand new.

What is the definition of an expatriate? It must mean someone who is expatriating from his own country to Ecuador but does it require permanent residency or ?????

Can anyone advise me please? I'm British living in Ecuador & want to bring my car over here. It is Sept 2006 registered. Can I bring it over? if so what will the tax/duty be?

Beverley...the short answer is no. It is illegal to import used cars into Ecuador. As someone wrote, they must be of the same year you're importing and be warned...their basis of accessing duty is based on the price in Ecuador, not the US. So that may cost $15K in the US, but it's $30K in Ecuador, thus duty placed on the higher value.

Andeanfx...I think what someone meant to say was that Ecuadoreans who have been legally living abroad who choose to repatriate to Ecuador are incentivized by having the ability to import a car. Unless I'm mistaken, with them I think it can be used.

If you are from another country and you own land in Ecuador (proof required and hard to do if you do not have a GREAT contact in Ecuador) you are allowed to bring in one vehicle every so many years. I will be looking into it in the next year. Not sure if new or older yet.

Hi, My name is Francisco and I live in Atlanta, Ga and I have a cousing that is a Diplomat in Quito and I am thinking and send new or used motorcycles to Ecuador but I am looking for someone with more experience on exporting goods.
Regards,

There is big reason as to why car prices in Ecuador are astronomical. The cost of placing a car in the streets of Ecuador is simply to high to make a decent profit if that is your intent. For instance, I was considering exporting a Jeep Wrangler that in Ecuador fetches, yes it is true, over FIFTY THOUSAND dollars. So I thought "great I am going o make a killing". But once I started to add up the cost of transportation ($2,650), custom duties, 65% of the sales price in Ecuador, etc. I would hardly make four to eight thousand dollars. An average of about 14% net profit. Perhaps to much risk and work for that kind of money. Now, if you are importing for your own use, well, that is another story my friend. Then perhaps all the trouble is worth it. Good luck.

I bought my new suv here in Ecuador. Had to pay a higher price,but have warranty and good service and it helps put the money into the local economy. I don't think it would be worth the trouble to import on your own. Very little savings in the end.