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Guia de compraAtualizado 27 de out. de 2026

How to Buy a Car Directly from China (2026)

Esta página está em inglês.

Updated 27 Oct 2026. Craveuo is an export platform, not a car brand and not a dealer of any brand. The seller on your contract is a licensed Chinese export company, and we take no payment before a signed contract. We do not clear customs in your country. Nothing here is a promise, legal advice or a quote.

Short answer

Yes. An overseas buyer can buy a new car from China through a licensed Chinese export company, after signing a contract. Check your country's import rules first [1][2].

Can you buy a car from China and ship it to your country?

Yes, but not from any seller. Since 1 January 2026, China requires an export licence for pure-electric passenger cars [1]. The Ministry of Commerce publishes each year's list of companies qualified to apply for car export licences. The 2026 list came with Announcement No. 85 of 2025, issued on 26 December 2025, and its annex pairs each carmaker with the export companies it has named [2][3]. An overseas buyer therefore buys through a licensed export company that is named in the contract.

Two things can still stop a purchase after you pay: your country's import rules (who may import, vehicle age, steering side, standards, taxes) and the car's specification. Cars built to Chinese specifications can use the GB/T charging standard, have a menu language you cannot change, and rely on Chinese servers for some apps [4]. Ask for the export version and check it against your country's rules before you order.

The 7 steps from quote to delivery

  1. Pick the model and trim. Ask the exporter in writing for the export version and its charging standard (our advice).
  2. Check your country's import rules first. Who may import, vehicle age, steering side and taxes differ by country. See the table at the end of this guide, and ask your registration authority or a licensed customs broker. We cannot promise registration.
  3. Get a written quote from the licensed exporter. It should name the exporter, the exact model and specification, the trade term (FOB, CIF or DAP) and what the price includes (our advice).
  4. Sign the contract, then pay. The seller on the contract, the exporter on the customs papers and the owner of the bank account should be the same name (our advice). We take no payment before a signed contract.
  5. See the real car before it ships. Ask for dated photos and a live video call that shows the VIN plate. The FTC advises hiring a mobile inspection when the car is far away [5].
  6. Sea freight. Cars travel on a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ship or in a container. A battery-electric car is declared as UN 3556, Class 9 dangerous goods, mandatory since 1 January 2026 [6].
  7. Clearance and registration at home. A licensed customs broker files the import declaration in your name, and you pay the taxes your customs authority assesses. The carrier's Bill of Lading lets its holder claim the car at the port [7]. Your local authority decides registration, and nobody can promise it.

Who is allowed to export an electric car from China?

  • Licence. Pure-electric passenger cars need an export licence from 1 January 2026 [1].
  • Annual list. Announcement No. 85 of 2025 (26 December 2025) publishes the 2026 list of companies qualified to apply [2][3].
  • Next round. A Shenzhen Commerce Bureau notice dated 10 October 2026 says the 2027 online filing system opened on 30 September 2026 and asks companies to file by 23 October 2026 [8].
  • Cars already registered in China. A car registered 180 days or less before export needs the maker's after-sales confirmation, from 1 January 2026 [9].

To check a seller, ask in writing which company will export your car, find its name in the annex [3], and write the same name into the contract. Being on the list shows a company is qualified to apply for a licence. It does not prove it will deliver, so also read Is It Safe to Buy a Car from China Online?.

What you pay on top of the car price

Add sea freight and cargo insurance, import duty and VAT, a customs broker, port charges and registration fees. The trade term in your quote decides who pays what:

  • FOB

    Delivers the car on board the vessel at the Chinese port. You bear all costs from then on [10]

  • CIF

    Delivers the car on board and arranges and pays sea carriage and insurance to the destination port [11]

  • DAP (our default quote)

    Delivers the car to the named place in your country, ready for unloading. You handle unloading and import clearance [12]

Our default quote is delivered to your door on DAP terms, with a local customs broker we recommend. It is not DDP, where the seller clears the car for import [12]. You pay the import taxes your customs authority assesses. For a step-by-step cost example, read What Does a Chinese EV Really Cost to Import?

Where to buy: maker, export company, platform or marketplace

There is no single best website. Compare four kinds of seller on the same checks:

  • Carmaker's export arm or a company it names

    Is the name in the 2026 annex [3]? Who signs the contract?

  • Export platform such as Craveuo

    Is the seller on the contract a licensed exporter? Is payment taken only after signing?

  • Online marketplace

    China EV Marketplace serves European buyers and takes orders from one vehicle. electrive reports that its cars are built to Chinese specifications and that homologation and import duties are charged separately [4]

  • Importer in your own country

    If your brand has an official importer, ask whether the warranty and parts cover a car you import separately. In Chile, a consumer report of 5 July 2026 advises checking who represents the brand, because the importer provides warranty service and parts [13]

Is it safe to buy a car from China online?

It can be, if you check the exporter, the contract and the car before paying. The FTC warns that cloned dealer websites copy a real dealer's logos, listings and photos, and advises leaving if a dealer demands payment by wire transfer only [5]. Wired money usually cannot be recovered [14]. Read the full checklist: Is It Safe to Buy a Car from China Online?

Where we deliver

Craveuo publishes an import guide for each country below. The first rule to check is in the table, and the guide has the rest. We do not clear customs in any of them.

  • Egypt

    First rule to check: Imported electric cars enter duty-free and pay 14% VAT in 2026; a 5% duty is under review [15]

    Guide: Egypt

  • Nigeria

    First rule to check: Battery-electric cars can be exempt from import duty and VAT with an Import Duty Exemption Certificate [16]

    Guide: Nigeria

  • Ethiopia

    First rule to check: Vehicle importers must meet new ministry criteria, including their own garage and at least two EV charging stations [17]

    Guide: Ethiopia

  • United Arab Emirates

    First rule to check: Dubai Customs levies 5% of the vehicle's value, as assessed by its valuation department [18]

    Guide: UAE

  • Kazakhstan

    First rule to check: VAT on imported electric cars is 16% from 1 January 2026 [19]

    Guide: Kazakhstan

  • Uzbekistan

    First rule to check: VAT is 12% [20]

    Guide: Uzbekistan

  • Chile

    First rule to check: 6% customs duty (lower under a trade agreement) plus 19% IVA on CIF value and duty [21]

    Guide: Chile

  • Peru

    First rule to check: IGV 16% plus IPM 2% on customs value and duties [22]

    Guide: Peru

  • Bolivia

    First rule to check: IVA 14.94% [23], and 0% ICE excise for fully electric vehicles until 31 December 2026 [24]

    Guide: Bolivia

Rates change, and your customs broker confirms each figure when you order. To ask about a model, use the inquiry form or browse all models.

Perguntas frequentes

Can I buy a car directly from China?
Yes, from a licensed Chinese export company that signs the contract with you [1][2]. Your own country decides whether you may import and register the car, so check its rules before you order.
Who is allowed to export a new electric car from China?
A company on the Ministry of Commerce's 2026 list of companies qualified to apply for car export licences, named in the annex against a carmaker [2][3]. Pure-electric passenger cars need the licence from 1 January 2026 [1]. Ask the exporter in writing.
When do I pay, and to whom?
After you sign the contract, and only into the bank account of the company named in it. We take no payment before a signed contract. Wired money usually cannot be recovered [14], so check the exporter and the car first.
What do I pay besides the car price?
Sea freight, insurance, import duty and VAT, a customs broker, port charges and registration fees. Rates differ by country (see the table), and your broker confirms each figure. Under our default DAP quote you pay the import taxes [12].
Will the car be accepted in my country?
That depends on your country's rules on who may import, vehicle age, steering side and standards. We cannot promise registration. Ask the local authority or a licensed customs broker, and read the guide for your country.
Which is the best website to buy Chinese cars?
No site is best for everyone. Compare who signs the contract, whether the exporter is in the 2026 annex [3], what the price includes, and whether you can see the VIN before shipping.

Quer um destes carros enviado para o seu país?

Diga-nos o seu país e a versão; respondemos em um dia útil com um preço FOB de referência e a rota de exportação.

Solicitar cotação

Sources

  1. cnevpost.com, 2025-09-26 (export licence for pure-electric passenger cars from 2026-01-01)
  2. mofcom.gov.cn, Announcement No. 85 of 2025, issued 2025-12-26, posted 2025-12-30 (Chinese)
  3. mofcom.gov.cn, annex 1 to Announcement No. 85 of 2025: 2026 list of companies qualified to apply for car export licences, spreadsheet with a carmaker column and an export-company column (file path dated 2026-01-06; read 2026-10-27)
  4. electrive.com, 2025-08-22
  5. consumer.ftc.gov, 2026-09-01
  6. britanniapandi.com, 2025-12-18
  7. dpworld.com, undated (page read 2026-10-27)
  8. sz.gov.cn, notice dated 2026-10-10, published 2026-10-12 (Chinese)
  9. yicai.com, 2025-11-14 (Chinese; four-ministry notice signed 2025-11-11, 180-day rule effective 2026-01-01)
  10. ICC, Incoterms 2020, rules for sea and inland waterway transport (FOB), 2020 edition (page read 2026-10-27)
  11. ICC Academy, CIF and CIP explained, 2024-10-07
  12. ICC Academy, DAP and DDP explained, 2025-02-25
  13. radioagricultura.cl, 2026-07-05 (Spanish)
  14. consumer.ftc.gov, What To Know Before You Wire Money, 2023-12-01 (page read 2026-10-27)
  15. enterpriseam.com, 2026-08-12
  16. prnigeria.com, 2026-07-31
  17. capitalethiopia.com, 2025-07-27
  18. dubaicustoms.gov.ae, undated (page read 2026-10-27)
  19. kz.kursiv.media, 2025-09-16 (Russian)
  20. PwC Tax Summaries, Uzbekistan other taxes, last reviewed 2026-08-27
  21. aduana.cl, undated (page read 2026-10-27; Spanish)
  22. sunat.gob.pe, undated (page read 2026-10-27; Spanish)
  23. ibce.org.bo, undated (page read 2026-10-27; Spanish)
  24. reduno.com.bo, 2026-07-10 (Spanish; Decree 5653)

Written by the CRAVEUO EV Export content team. Last updated: 2026-10-27

About CRAVEUO EV Export: we help buyers outside China buy new-energy vehicles from licensed Chinese export companies. The contract is signed with the licensed exporter named in it, and we take no payment before a signed contract.

Este guia não é assessoria jurídica nem aduaneira; decidem a alfândega do destino e um despachante aduaneiro licenciado.