Importing a Ferrari from Canada to the USA

canuck delivered cars are exempt last i saw

 

I have brought two Canadian market BMWs into the USA. It's not too difficult. I live in WA state so easy for me to go retrieve the car myself.
1) Get the vin and confirm that FNA will provide you with a letter (with your VIN) stating the car meets all applicable DOT and EPA regulations. This is required paperwork for US Customs.
2) Ensure that the speedometer displays MPH, even if it reads the MPH in lowercase, below the KPH (like many USA gauge clusters display KPH in lower case). If it does not, you will need to have the gauge cluster swapped to a USA cluster, to be importable. They don't care if the mileage is displayed in KMs.
3) When you arrive at US Customs, you declare the vehicle and you go inside and provide the bill of sale, compliance letter from the manufacturer or importer (in this case from FNA) and pay the 2.5% import tax. (they will take a credit card) If you were in Canada for more than 48 hours, you can deduct $800 from the value of the car.

It has been rumored here that FNA may charge you a fee for the letter...some car manufacturers do that to discourage cross border transactions of their cars. BMW did not in my case, but I have heard Mercedes charges two or three hundred dollars.

If you are far from Canada, you can use a registered importer. They will charge a fee to do all this for you, and arrange pick up and delivery. I hear it is not cheap. I would carefully vet any RI you consider using and get references.

 

This is incorrect.

 

that is your number 1? the car does not need to be sent to registered importer for modification.

 

Exempt from what? You are not specific.

I just said you don't necessarily require a registered importer. While there may not be any modifications beyond a gauge cluster swap (or reprogramming of the cluster) there are a number of processes and steps involved. But there should not be any emissions or bumper/crash protection changes required, as those have been standardized in North America for about 25 years.

But that brings up one other regulatory requirement. The car has to have been also sold or made available in the USA market. If it was a car only sold outside the USA, would preclude its importation into the USA without considerable work and effort.

 

Any one has any idea how much FNA charges for a compliance letter.

 

Why not reach out directly and ask?
TELEPHONE NUMBER1 (877) 933-7727
EMAIL[email protected]

 

Thanks.

 

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It is a problem. It is one of the items the US Customs inspector will check before approving importation.
In my case with a BMW M550iX, I simply switched from KPH to MPH in the Idrive system and the inspector was satisfied.
With an older BMW with analog gauges, and without MPH in lowercase, I had to have the BMW dealer in Vancouver, BC replace the gauge cluster with a USA spec cluster and add the mileage as appropriate. I had to present the paperwork from the BMW dealer to the inspector. It was pouring rain that day and the inspector said he trusted me and didn't want to dash out in the rain to confirm.

I don't know if the Portofino can be changed by a simple setting change, that would be ideal. It might require the dealer to perform.
Ask the seller to investigate for you.

 

Not a good sign...I would move on.

 

Per @Steve Heck not cheap. Maybe he can let you know.

 

Sent him a PM
Cheers
Steve