What it really costs to import motorcycles from China

1. The bike itself: FOB price bands by segment

FOB (“Free On Board”) is the price with the crated bike delivered onto the vessel in China — the number every quote starts from. These are the bands we see quoting suppliers in Chongqing in July 2026:

Two rules of thumb: electric start, ABS and EFI move a model toward the top of its band, and single-model volume moves it toward the bottom. A mixed order of 3–10 units per model prices near the middle.

2. Ocean freight

Motorcycles ship crated in a 20GP (≈26 m³ usable) or 40HQ (≈65 m³ usable) container. A crated full-size bike takes roughly 1.8–2.3 m³, so a 40HQ holds around 28–34 full-size machines, or more with semi-knocked-down commuters. Container rates from Chinese ports move with the market — get a live quote per destination; as a planning figure, the freight cost per bike in a full container is usually a few percent of its FOB value, not a deal-breaker.

3. Duties & registration — check before you order

Import duty on motorcycles (HS 8711) differs by country and by engine size, and some markets add excise or luxury tax on larger displacements. Two things to verify with your local customs broker before ordering: the duty rate for your displacement class, and whether road registration requires type approval documents (many Middle East, African and Latin American markets are flexible; the EU and US are not — for those we supply off-road / closed-course machines only).

4. The line items first-timers forget

• Pre-delivery inspection (PDI): a bike that was never started in China becomes your problem at destination. Insist on a filmed PDI per VIN — we include it on every unit.
• Spare parts: pads, filters, cables, levers and plastics cost little at Chinese wholesale and retail at 2–3× at destination. Ordering them with the bikes saves a second shipment and funds your after-sales.
• Port & clearance fees: terminal handling, documentation and broker fees at both ends — typically a few hundred dollars per container side.
• Payment protection: first orders should run through trade-assurance style escrow or documented T/T with deposit/balance stages tied to the PDI videos.

5. A realistic first order

Most dealers start with one 20GP: for example 6× 450 enduro, 4× 500 street and 6× 150 commuters plus a parts kit — roughly US$35,000–45,000 FOB depending on spec. Use our container estimator to price your own mix, then send it in for a binding line-by-line quote.