Shipping cars to West Africa can be a cumbersome process if handled without care and requisite experience. For car shipping to Liberia West Africa, for instance, you have to follow the strict rules & regulations of the country. Otherwise, you might end up with higher shipping costs or delays in delivery. To avoid all the complexities, it is always a better choice to get help from experienced shippers like AFL for shipping to West Africa.
An introduction to Liberia and Trade Ties with the US
The Republic of Liberia is a country of 5 Million people on the West African coast. The country is spread over an area of approximately 111,369 square kilometres and is bordered by Guinea to its North, Sierra Leone to its Northwest, Ivory Coast to its East, and the Atlantic Ocean to its South and Southeast.
The US has long-standing trade ties with Liberia with more than $180 Million worth of trade annually. The U.S and Liberia have a trade agreement, Trade & Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), which was signed in 2007. Liberia imports cars worth $10 Million each year from the USA. Due to little to no manufacturing in the West African country, the import of cars is expected to increase in the years to come.
Available options for car shipping to Liberia West Africa
When car shipping to Liberia, West Africa, You have primarily two options. We have explained both the options with their pros and cons for your convenience below.
RoRo Shipping to Liberia
The best method for shipping cars to Liberia is the RoRo (Roll-on, Roll-off) shipping service. In this shipping method, your car is driven onto the vessel and tied to the deck. The vessel then transports your vehicles to the destination country.
Since hundreds of cars are transported in a single vessel, the shipping costs per vehicle are reduced to a great extent. Moreover, you can ship vehicles of any size with this method as space is not a constraint in this method. With this shipping mode, you can expect your car deliveries to reach on time since these vessels follow a strict schedule like that of an airline.
However, the only constraint of this shipping mode is that your car should be operational so that a driver from the shipping company can drive it onto the vessel. RoRo shipping is the recommended way of shipping normal vehicles. However, if you intend to ship luxury or classic vehicles, you can go for container shipping which we have discussed below.
Container Shipping to Liberia
Container shipping adds an extra layer of security while shipping vehicles to Liberia, West Africa. In this mode of shipping, your car is loaded into a container which is then sealed and transported on a ship to the destination port.
Since your car is not exposed to the atmosphere throughout the process, the chances of your car getting any damage are very low. You can choose from different sizes of containers depending upon your requirements.
There are further two options available in container shipping which are explained below.
FCL or Private Container Shipping
In FCL (Full Container Load) or private container shipping, you pay for the entire space in a container. In this mode of car shipping, you can ship 3-4 cars in a single container. Or, you can ship your luggage along with your vehicle in the container. Either way, you have the entire space in the container reserved for your shipment. Since you are renting an entire container, this mode of car shipping is expensive when compared to RoRo shipping. An advantage of using this method for car shipping to Liberia, West Africa, is that your container will be immediately shipped to the destination country without any unnecessary delays. In short, this method is suitable for shipping classic or luxury cars to Liberia or elsewhere in West Africa.
LCL or Shared Container Shipping
In LCL (Less than Container Load) or shared container shipping, you pay for only as much space as your car consumes in the container. In this mode of shipping, the company ships three to four vehicles of different owners in one container to the destination country. Although this mode of container shipping is cost-effective, you can experience some delays in your shipments. The delays make sense as the container will be loaded onto the shipping vessel only when it is fully loaded. Although you cannot ship a lot of luggage with LCL shipping, you can still keep some items in the trunk of your vehicle.
Cost of car shipping to Liberia from the USA
The cost of car shipping to Liberia from the USA depends on many factors. Due to Liberia’s coastal location, it is cheaper to ship cars to the country compared to other countries in West Africa. On average, you can ship a car to Liberia from the USA for $3200 to $6300. The actual cost of shipping will vary depending on many factors some of which we have explained below.
Mode of Shipping
The mode of shipping you opt for shipping your vehicle to Liberia will influence the shipping costs. As explained earlier, there are two options available to move your car to Liberia. RoRo shipping is the most economical option to move your car to Liberia. Container shipping, however, is a comparatively costlier option. In container shipping, a shared container will be economical for you if you are shipping one car only. However, if you need to move 3 to 4 cars via container shipping, then a private container is a better option. The mode of shipping will determine the overall shipping costs from the USA to Liberia.
Shipping Distance
The distance between the origin and destination ports also affects the overall shipping costs. If you cannot move your car to the origin port, there is no need to worry. Our door-to-port service allows you to stay in the comfort of your home while we ship your car from your doorstep to the desired origin port.
Condition of the Vehicle
The condition of the vehicle also affects the shipping costs. For Roro shipping, your car must be operational so that a driver from the shipping company can drive it onto the vessel. The same goes for unloading the vehicle at the destination port. However, if you have a non-running car, we can still ship it to Liberia. You should expect to pay a slightly higher shipping cost as non-running cars need special equipment like a winch to load the vehicle onto the shipping truck.
Marine Insurance for car shipping to Liberia West Africa
We recommend that you opt for marine insurance while shipping to Liberia, West Africa. Although marine insurance is an optional cost, opting for one will keep you covered in case anything unfortunate happens while your car is being shipped through the sea route,
Popular ports for shipping to Liberia West Africa
When car shipping to Liberia, West Africa, you can choose from multiple destination ports in the country. The choice of destination and origin ports will directly affect the shipping costs and delivery times. So, it is ideal to discuss your shipping requirements beforehand with our representatives. The main destination ports in Liberia include Greenville, Buchanan, Monrovia, and Harper. Freeport of Monrovia is the busiest port in Liberia containing four piers and one main wharf with four berths. As far as the origin ports are concerned, you can ship from any port in the US. However, you should choose the nearest origin port to save on shipping costs.
Find the Right Company for Shipping to West Africa
Shipping to West African countries can become troublesome if you don’t work with the right shipping company. Working with the right shipping partner ensures that you opt for the appropriate shipping method along with doing proper documentation of the process. Following are some of the benefits you get by choosing AFL for shipping to Liberia or anywhere else in West Africa.
NVOCC Services Provider
One of the main reasons you should trust AFL for car shipping to Liberia is that we are an NVOCC services provider. A Non-Vessel Owning Common Carrier (NVOCC) service provider doesn’t actually own the vessel, but books your shipments with the most affordable shipping vessels. Moreover, AFL books large spaces on these vessels thereby providing affordable shipping solutions to our customers. It is important to mention here that an NVOCC license is issued to only a select few shipping companies after verification from relevant authorities and scores of positive feedback from satisfied clients.
Documentation Services
At AFL, we have a team of customs experts with decades of industry experience. They make sure that your documents are proper and comply with the customs rules and regulations of the destination country. West African countries including Liberia keep changing their import rules from time to time. So, it is important to let someone experienced handle the documentation work for your shipments. Otherwise, there is a good chance you might end up paying higher charges for shipping due to incomplete paperwork.
Door to Domestic Port Shipping
We understand that you have other commitments and might not be able to drive your car to the origin port. In this case, we provide door to domestic port shipping services so that you can spend your valuable time doing other important things. Just make sure to explain your requirements clearly to our representative and we’ll pick up your car from your doorstep in the US.
Requirements for Car Shipping to Liberia, West Africa
Before you ship a car to Liberia, there are certain requirements you must meet for a smooth shipping experience. As per the country’s laws, you cannot export a used car older than 12 years to Liberia. For luxury used vehicles, the limit is 15 years. You need the following documents in case you are shipping a new vehicle to Liberia:
- Original Bill of Sale
- Chassis Number
- A commercial invoice containing all details including engine capacity, make, and model of the vehicle
For used vehicles, the Liberia Revenue Authority will appraise your car and then a suitable duty will be applied to your shipment. Although duties vary from vehicle to vehicle, you can expect a duty somewhere between 40% to 60% depending on the car’s engine and manufacturing year.
Some of the documents that you need for shipping used cars to Liberia are:
- Vehicle Title
- Invoice
- Proof of Ownership
- Identification documents of the owner (Valid ID and Passport)
- Import Permit
- Registration
- Insurance documents
- Customs release document
Frequently Asked Questions about car shipping to Liberia
What is the process of car shipping to Liberia, West Africa?
The process of shipping to Liberia is a simple one and comprises only 3 steps. In The first step, you request a quote for shipping to Liberia by calling our representative. Alternatively, you can fill out our online form and soon a team member will contact you to discuss the details. In the second step, you will provide all the requisite documents to our agent so that we can book your shipment. In the final step, we will ship your car and deliver it to the destination port.
How can I prepare my car for shipping to Liberia?
Make sure that your car’s fuel tank is not filled more than 1/4th of the tank’s capacity. Moreover, do not leave any expensive belongings in the car when handing over the car to the shipping company. Finally, your car must be operational in case of RoRo shipping.