Importers know this moment. The phone rings about a car that "should already be at the port," the salesperson has a note on their phone, the buyer sent the VIN by email, and the Excel sheet still shows the status "in transit." The client asks for a delivery date. The team guesses.

This is often how importing cars from the USA looks when a company grows faster than its processes. In the beginning, it can be managed with messages, spreadsheets, and people's memory. Then, each additional car increases the chaos. Not because importing itself is unmanageable. The problem is the lack of a single, organized process from auction purchase to selling the finished car.

Introduction: Importing Cars from the USA – A Chance for Profit or Operational Chaos?
Step 1: Choosing a Car and Auction – How to Bid Wisely on Copart and IAAI
- What a Dealer Really Earns From
- How to Evaluate an Offer Before Bidding
Step 2: Logistics in the USA – From Payment to Loading onto the Ship
- After Winning, Speed Matters
- Where Money Most Often Disappears
Step 3: Customs Procedures, VAT, and Excise Duty – Pitfalls at the Port
Step 4: Homologation and Registration in Poland – The Final Stretch
- What Most Often Needs Modification
- Documents Worth Preparing in Advance
Cost Calculation – How Much Does It Really Cost and How to Calculate Profit?
- A Full List of Costs, Not Just the Auction Price
- A Checklist for Dealers
How to Organize This Chaos? Practical Import Management in CRM
FAQ: Most Common Questions About Importing Cars from the USA

Introduction: Importing Cars from the USA – A Chance for Profit or Operational Chaos?

Importing cars from the USA gives a dealer a real advantage. Access to different specifications, more powerful engine versions, richer equipment, and models that clients in Europe search for months. The problem begins when a company views import solely as transporting a car across the ocean.

In practice, it's a full operational process. A buyer selects a car. Someone else pays for the auction. A transporter picks up the car. The customs agency needs documents. The workshop awaits a decision on what to do. The salesperson is already collecting leads for a car that hasn't even left the ship yet. If each stage operates independently, the margin disappears between delays, mistakes, and incomplete follow-ups.

Comparison of a luxury car from the USA with a stressed office worker surrounded by stacks of documents and cables at work.

This is not a niche that thrives on chance. In 2020, despite the pandemic, car imports from the USA to Poland increased by 7% year-on-year, while overall imports fell by over 22%. Nearly 235,000 cars from the USA were already on Polish roads, demonstrating the durability of this import direction, as described in data from IBRM SAMAR and Carfax Europe.

A dealer looking to seriously enter this market should not just ask "how to buy a car." They should ask:

Which cars make commercial sense
At which stage is it easiest to lose margin
How to track the status of each VIN
How to integrate stock, logistics, and sales

Only then does import cease to be a series of individual actions and start functioning as a predictable pipeline. This is precisely why companies growing in this area are organizing not only purchases and logistics but the entire flow of information, contacts, and statuses. Such operational order can then be consolidated in one place, for example, in solutions built for dealers like carBoost.

The biggest mistake of new importers isn't choosing the wrong car. It's failing to see the entire process as a single chain of decisions.

Step 1: Choosing a Car and Auction – How to Bid Wisely on Copart and IAAI

The first decision sets everything up. You don't buy "a car from the USA." You buy a specific VIN with a specific history, risk, and resale potential.

A man browsing car auctions from the USA on a tablet, analyzing used vehicle offers with a magnifying glass.

What a Dealer Really Earns From

A new importer often looks first at the low starting price. This is the wrong starting point. What matters isn't how cheaply you buy, but whether, after all costs and time, the car remains attractive to the end customer.

The market structure clearly illustrates this. In the first half of 2024, imports of used cars from the USA to Poland increased by 65% year-on-year, reaching 32,500 units. Popular models included the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler Pacifica, and Ford Mustang, indicating demand for SUVs and muscle cars in the Polish market, as reported by Autoblog based on Samar data.

This is a good hint for dealers. Look for cars that meet three conditions simultaneously:

They have recognizable demand. The customer knows what they are calling about.
They can be repaired sensibly. Not just bodywork, but also electrically and formally.
They don't tie up capital for too long. A car sitting for months stops being a bargain.

How to Evaluate an Offer Before Bidding

Before clicking "bid," you need to check more than just the photos. In practice, a buyer should work with a short evaluation card.

Damage History
The auction description is not enough. You need to compare photos, the type of damage, and the vehicle's history. Flood-damaged cars are particularly risky, even if they look good in photos.

Title of Ownership
Salvage, clean, rebuilt, certificate. These designations affect not only the purchase but also subsequent formalities and sales.

Vehicle Completeness
A missing lamp or bumper is visible immediately. Missing airbags, modules, interior components, or electronics become apparent later and then eat into the margin.

Car Location
A yard far from the port means additional organizational complications. If you buy several cars a month, location becomes as important as the car's condition.

Good buyer practices are usually simple:

Reject cars whose damage cannot be clearly assessed.
Do not bid emotionally.
Set a maximum purchase cost before the auction starts.
Leave a margin for surprises after unloading.

When working operationally, it's also useful to observe how other dealers structure their research and selection processes. Useful industry materials are collected on the carBoost blog.

Below is material that well illustrates the realities of working with auctions and evaluating offers:

A good bid starts the day before. At the time of the auction, you should only confirm a decision, not make it.

Step 2: Logistics in the USA – From Payment to Loading onto the Ship

Winning an auction doesn't end the work. From this point on, the stage begins where it's easiest to lose time, liquidity, and nerves. It's no longer about "did you buy a good car," but whether you can quickly move it through the American part of the process.

After Winning, Speed Matters

First, payment. The auction house and broker operate on deadlines, not the buyer's convenience. If documents, payment, and confirmations aren't processed immediately, the car starts generating problems.

The operating model should be simple:

buyer confirms purchase and completes documents,
operations department initiates payment,
transporter receives the pickup order,
the team ensures the car leaves the lot and heads to the port.

Most errors occur when these tasks are scattered across emails, messengers, and phone calls. The company owner often learns about delays only when additional payments are required or when explaining schedule shifts to a client.

Where Money Most Often Disappears

In this stage, it's not just major breakdowns that erode the margin. It's the small details that add up to a larger cost.

Late Payment
If a deadline is missed, storage fees apply. This is a typical example of a cost that could be avoided with mere process discipline.

Poorly Chosen Domestic Transporter
Not all transporters operate with the same efficiency. One will give you quick status updates, another will disappear for days. With a few cars, it's an annoyance. With larger volumes, it's a real operational problem.

Lack of Document Control
Title, bill of sale, pickup details. If one item is incomplete or doesn't match the rest, the car sits.

No Shared Status View
The salesperson promises the client a delivery date, the buyer thinks the car is already on its way to the port, and logistics is still waiting for pickup from the lot.

In practice, a model where each VIN has a simple status path works best. Purchased. Paid. Picked up. En route to port. Loaded. In ocean transit. Without such discipline, the company doesn't manage imports; it reacts to one surprise after another.

It's also useful to view the process simultaneously from the sales and operational perspectives, not just logistics. Such materials are also available on the English carBoost blog.

Step 3: Customs Procedures, VAT, and Excise Duty – Pitfalls at the Port

The ship has arrived, the client is waiting, and the car still hasn't cleared the port. In practice, this is one of the moments where a dealer loses control over both margin and delivery time. The problem rarely stems from one major mistake. It's usually a few minor discrepancies in documents, a lack of process ownership, and chaotic communication between the customs agency, accounting, and sales.

Which Fees Must Be Calculated Without Guessing

The basic set of fees is simple: 10% customs duty, 23% VAT, and excise duty depending on engine capacity, usually 3.1% or 18.6%. The difficulty lies in the calculation base and vehicle classification. If you set up the data incorrectly at the start, you don't just correct one field in a spreadsheet later. You correct an entire sequence of decisions, documents, and settlements.

Dealers should check three areas even before the car enters customs clearance:

Element	What to Check	Where the Risk Lies
Purchase Document	consistency of vehicle data and value	discrepancy between invoice and shipping documents
Vehicle Technical Data	engine capacity, vehicle type	incorrectly calculated excise duty
Clearance Path	who handles formalities and on what documents they work	delays, duplicated agreements, inconsistency of papers

Order matters here. First, document verification, then value confirmation, and finally settlements and declarations. Many companies do it the other way around because each department works on its own task list. Then the salesperson asks if they can list the car, accounting waits for the complete set, and the customs agency is missing one attachment.

Mistakes That Keep Cars at the Port

I most often see four sources of problems.

Incorrect Value in Documents
If the value from the purchase document doesn't match other papers, the customs office requests clarification. This prolongs clearance and blocks further actions.

Incomplete Document Set
A missing document doesn't seem serious until the car is stuck at the lot. Then, every day starts costing money.

Wrong Classification for Excise Duty
An error in engine capacity or vehicle type results in correction, additional payment, or further questions from the office. With larger volumes, such mistakes are not incidents; they are recurring time losses.

Lack of a Single Process Owner
If several people "oversee" clearance, usually no one is truly responsible for it. As a result, the car's status lives in emails, phone calls, and messengers.

This highlights a broader issue. Import doesn't end with logistics. It's a sales and financial process that needs to be managed systematically. Each VIN should have an assigned manager, clearance status, complete documents, payment deadline, and blockers to be removed. Without this, a dealer doesn't manage a car portfolio; they put out one fire after another.

How to Reduce Risk Before Reaching the Port

A simple pre-clearance check, consistently performed for every car, not just difficult cases, works best:

VIN consistency across all documents,
Consistency of purchase value and seller details,
Confirmation of the correct excise duty rate,
Complete documents from the broker, forwarder, and transporter,
A single person responsible for the final review,
Clear case status accessible to sales and accounting.

On a small scale, this can still be managed manually. With a larger number of cars, a spreadsheet becomes a hindrance rather than a help. It won't show you which cases are stalled due to documents, which are waiting for payment, and which can already be handed over for sales preparation. Therefore, organizing customs clearance should be built as an operational process in CRM, with a checklist, responsibility, and a history of agreements for each VIN.

Clearance is not a single formality. It's a checkpoint where the quality of the entire preceding process is verified. If a company has messy data and communication, the port will reveal it very quickly.

A well-set-up process not only shortens response time but also protects margins by allowing errors to be caught before they turn into delays, corrections, and postponed sales dates.

Step 4: Homologation and Registration in Poland – The Final Stretch

At this stage, many importers make a simple mistake. They assume that since the car is already in the country, the hardest part is over. However, this is precisely where all the underestimations from earlier stages surface.

What Most Often Needs Modification

A car from the American market usually requires adaptation to Polish and European standards. Most often, this involves lighting and components necessary for passing technical inspection.

In practice, it's best to check primarily:

Turn Signals and Rear Lights
Red turn signals are a classic issue with cars from the USA.
Position and Fog Lights
Their arrangement and specifications often require modifications.
Headlights
Not all can be adapted without issues. Sometimes replacement is more cost-effective than tinkering.

At the workshop, the scope of work and responsibility for the final result must be agreed upon in advance. A dealer who hands over a car "for work" without a list of requirements is asking for rework and delays.

Documents Worth Preparing in Advance

Registration goes more smoothly when documents are ready before the car undergoes inspection. This is basic, but in practice, many importers only deal with paperwork after technical work is completed.

Most commonly needed are:

purchase document,
customs clearance documents,
proof of excise duty payment,
translations,
technical inspection,
documents required by the communication department.

It's also good to maintain your own internal vehicle card. Not an official one, but an operational one. It should include the work status, list of missing items, responsible person, and the date of the next step. This way, the salesperson doesn't ask the mechanic "is it ready yet?" but sees the case status immediately.

This stage rewards predictability. The dealer who wins isn't the one who "somehow figures it out," but the one who has an established document flow and a single queue of tasks for each car.

Cost Calculation – How Much Does It Really Cost and How to Calculate Profit?

A dealer wins an auction, looks at the purchase price, and sees potential profit. After 6 to 10 weeks, the same VIN has added commissions, US transport, freight, port fees, customs, taxes, repairs, adaptations, and storage costs. If the calculation was based solely on the price from Copart or IAAI, the margin was likely an illusion from the start.

Here, a "rough estimate" is not enough. You need to build a cost model for each car and stick to it throughout the process, because the biggest losses don't come from one major mistake, but from many small items added too late.

A Full List of Costs, Not Just the Auction Price

Infographic

Profitability is calculated from the full cost of acquiring and preparing the car for sale. In practice, this means that one calculation sheet per VIN should include:

Purchase price at auction
Auction house and broker commissions
Land transport in the USA
Ocean freight
Transport insurance
Port fees
Customs duty, VAT, and excise duty
Transport from the port to the destination
Translations and documents
Adaptation work
Mechanical and body repairs
Technical inspection and registration
Cost of capital and downtime
Planned profit margin
Reserve for unforeseen additional charges

The last item often determines the outcome. A car, after inspection at the workshop, can reveal additional damage, missing equipment, or electronic issues. If a dealer doesn't include a buffer even before bidding, they start trying to save the margin after purchase, usually at the expense of time or the quality of car preparation.

One must also be wary of tax changes and the method of settling a specific transaction. Information about excise duty increases for some cars with larger engines and the impact of VAT deduction on the final cost should always be checked directly at the source and calculated using current data, as described by Route US-PL. One incorrectly applied tax variant can change the profitability of an entire purchase.

A Checklist for Dealers

Below is an example of a calculation structure. This is not a market price list. It's an operational template according to which each car should be calculated separately and updated after each stage.

Example Import Cost Calculation (Ford Mustang GT)

Stage	Estimated Cost (PLN)	Notes
Car Purchase	to be filled	auctioned price
Auction Fees	to be filled	depends on auction house and broker
Transport in USA	to be filled	depends on distance to port
Ocean Freight	to be filled	depends on port and shipping method
Customs Duty	to be filled	calculated on value according to procedure
VAT	to be filled	depends on settlement path
Excise Duty	to be filled	especially important for large displacement engines
Technical Adaptation	to be filled	lights, lighting, required modifications
Repairs and Service	to be filled	after inspection and disassembly
Registration and Documents	to be filled	translations, inspection, office fees
Total Cost	sum	basis for sales decision
Planned Sales Price	to be filled	according to market and car condition
Profit Margin	difference	only after summing everything up

With several cars at once, the table alone is insufficient. Each VIN has its own rhythm; one is waiting for loading, another for clearance, a third for a workshop estimate, and a fourth is already listed for sale. If the calculation exists in a separate spreadsheet and the car's status is in messages and phone calls, the dealer loses control over the outcome before the car reaches the lot.

Therefore, the cost estimate should not be a separate document "for accounting." It should be part of the sales process. The salesperson must see how much has already been invested in the car, the owner must see the projected profit margin, and the person responsible for imports must immediately identify deviations from the plan. Only then can timely decisions be made, such as stopping a bid, changing a repair option, or faster listing a car that is starting to incur storage costs.

A similar calculation logic is worth comparing with another import direction, for example, in the analysis of costs of importing a car from Canada.

The margin most often disappears not due to one large item, but where the dealer lacks a single, constantly updated total cost for each VIN.

How to Organize This Chaos? Practical Import Management in CRM

In practice, the mess starts not when the car arrives at the port, but much earlier. One salesperson promised a client a deadline that no one confirmed. Someone paid for transport but didn't complete the documents for the VIN file. An ad went live on a portal, even though the car is still stuck in customs. With one car, this can still be managed manually with phone calls. With ten, it becomes firefighting.

The problem isn't with Excel itself. The problem arises when a spreadsheet is expected to replace the entire workflow, communication, and margin control.

Most often, in a single file, a dealer tries to manage simultaneously:

car stock,
clearance and document status,
team tasks,
client contacts,
ad publication and price control.

This falls apart because these areas operate at different paces. The buyer updates the purchase cost. The logistics person adds port fees. The salesperson is already talking to the client about availability. The owner looks at yesterday's margin, not the cost after recent adjustments. As a result, the company doesn't manage imports; it reacts to the consequences of lacking a single source of truth.

This is particularly evident with models that quickly appear on multiple portals simultaneously. Material from USA Import Auto describes the problem of duplicate listings and price pressure after winning an auction. If a dealer doesn't control listings by VIN, they easily undercut a car's price simply because the market appears more saturated than it actually is.

Screenshot from https://carboo.st/

A well-configured CRM organizes imports as a sales process. Each VIN progresses through successive stages. Each lead is assigned to a specific car or group of cars. Each status change triggers the next task, instead of getting lost in a WhatsApp message.

A practical setup should look like this:

Area	What Should Be Visible	Operational Effect
Car Inventory	VIN, status, location, import stage	the team knows the vehicle's current stage
Sales Pipeline	lead, conversation stage, assigned salesperson	client contact doesn't break after the first call
Tasks	what needs to be done and by when	fewer delays with documents, transport, and car preparation
Interaction History	calls, messages, agreements	anyone can take over a case without guessing
Listing Monitoring	active and archived listings by VIN	faster reaction to duplicates, errors, and price pressure

This is especially important when a company divides roles among several people or departments. One team buys, another manages imports, a third sells. Without a common system, each person works with their own version of the car's status, deadline, and cost. Then, errors result not from a lack of commitment, but from a lack of process.

This is why, in this industry, a tool built for the real work of a dealer works best. It's about a system that combines CRM for car dealerships, car sales management, vehicle inventory management, VIN tracking, tasks, listings, and contact history. Only then does import cease to be a collection of separate steps and becomes a predictable process from auction to car handover to the client.

If you want to scale imports, establish one process for each VIN and each lead. Then the team controls margin, deadlines, and sales in one place.

FAQ: Most Common Questions About Importing Cars from the USA

Is Importing Cars from the USA More Profitable for a Dealer Than Buying a Car in Europe?

It depends on the model, specifications, damage history, and your work organization. The advantage usually appears when a dealer can select cars well, calculate the full cost, and efficiently handle formalities. A low purchase price alone is not enough.

Is It Better to Buy Independently or Through a Broker?

For initial imports, a broker usually reduces operational risk. Independent action makes sense only when you have your own process, trusted contacts, and control over documents. If you don't have these, the apparent savings quickly disappear.

Which Cars from the USA Sell Easiest?

The easiest to sell are cars for which there is clear demand and which customers actively seek. Recognizable SUVs, family vans, and selected sports models perform well. However, the quality of the calculation and the car's condition after preparation are more important than the model itself.

When Should a Salesperson Start Collecting Leads?

Not only after full registration. A well-prepared dealer builds interest earlier, but only if they know the real status of the vehicle and don't promise unrealistic deadlines. A lead without operational control turns into a customer service problem.

What Most Often Ruins the Margin on Imports?

Most often, it's not one big mistake, but a sum of small ones. Poor damage assessment, incomplete calculation, delays in documents, technical corrections, uncontrolled discounts at the end of the sale. Each of these elements seems harmless individually. Together, they can eat up the profit.

Can This Be Managed Without a Specialized System?

On a small scale, for some time, yes. With a larger number of cars and leads, manual management usually ends in a lack of control over vehicle status, lost follow-ups, and chaos between departments.

If you want to see how to organize imports, stock, and the sales pipeline in one place, check out carBoost. It's a solution created for dealers and importers who want a complete view of VINs, leads, tasks, and sales stages without the chaos of spreadsheets and scattered communication.

Importing Cars from the USA: A Dealer's Guide 2026

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