Importing an ex-Canadian car from the US?
 

Hey guys,

Weird question, I've been looking at a car on CL, however the only thing is the vehicle is located in the US, AND it was originally purchased in Canada.

So I'm wondering if anyone has experience with the procedure on what to do. I'm pretty sure it would pass Canadian inspections no problem since it was made for the Canadian market. Would I have to pay tax on it at the border?

How would insurance even work in the US if I bought it (since in Canada you could purchase insurance right after the sale), since I'm not sure if I can buy US insurance for the drive back into Canada.

Thanks!

Is the vehicle currently titled in the US?

It really depends on what the border does. I can see CBSA collect GST (5%) from you and then you will have to pay PST when you re-register a vehicle at an insurance broker in BC.

For insurance on driving it back, you can buy a binder form ICBC for coverage, however you will need to buy an operations permit (licensing) from that state where the seller is. You must also make sure that the permit is valid in all the states you will drive through and is valid in Canada.

I owned an American Escalade that was imported to Canada and when I sold it an American bought it. I was told "vehicles dont have dual citizenships" and you have to go threw the entire importing/exporting process again.

That said I used a company called Crossborder to export my vehicle (Crossborder Vehicle Sales, 604 533-3116) it was $500 or $600 and they had the vehicle delivered and handled the entire process, I drove to Langley and handed them the keys and they handled the rest. Id imagine they could do the same for you. Goodluck either way.