Importing motorcycles from abroad into PR China

[ZMC888]

Product description: CB500R Product category: Engine Capacity: 501 - 800 cc - Exceeding 500 cc but not exceeding 700 cc (87114000) Product value: US$5500.00 Country of manufacture: United States

Total customs value:	CH¥44533.68
- Duty:	CH¥17813.47
- Consumption tax:	CH¥6927.46
- VAT:	CH¥11776.68
Total import duty & taxes due:	CH¥36517.62
Total landed cost:	CH¥81051.30 at USD/CNY exchange rate of 6.2285

Calculation notes


Notes on duty & taxes rates

• CB500R has an import duty rate of 40% and VAT rate of 17% , Consumption Tax rate is 10%.

Notes on import taxes due

• Please note that your shipping provider may add an additional handling fee

I wonder what the tax situation would be if you imported from an ASEAN country such as Thailand?

[MJH]

I believe they are the same rates for all, the Motorcycle industry in China is protected.
This website allows a free trial….http://www.dutycalculator.com/

[ZMC888]

It does say that Asian countries are the same on the calculator, then again it could be incorrect.

IMO the best way around the rules is to buy a legal CMX250/CB250 clone/based bike and to upgrade it with imported original Honda parts, and nice shocks and brakes, even better with a CB350 engine, but you'd need to keep it looking fairly original. Would be a cool winter project.

[TB-Racing]

I wonder what the tax situation would be if you imported from an ASEAN country such as Thailand?

Triumph will export from Thailand to ML China in the near future and have a look at the very interesting Ducati frame sticker pictured (pic taken at Ducati display booth during the recent F1 Ciruit Racing Event = (VW SCCF @ 10 November, 2012).
The motorbike import tax from Thailand into China is lower, a mate mention the % a few weeks ago but can't remember right now.....

[Nuhaus]

a mate mention the % a few weeks ago but can't remember right now.....

Is the difference single or double digits?

Then we'd need a list of bikes imported (or at least importable) from Thailand. The new CB500X is looking very sweet. Anything is looking sweet next to an HD 883 right now though...

[MJH]

I used to have a table,an Excel spreadsheet, that I found on the ASEAN website it had all import codes, descriptions and rates. I deleted it though, when I first got it I checked it was 40%, it was dated 2009.


If you are that interested then try finding the data.

I used "asean thailand china filetype:xls" in google
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&a...xls&as_rights=

The rates are online someplace...playing with the search terms would eventually find it.

[MJH]

China is not an ASEAN member, locating manufacturing in Thailand is only in part strategic with regards to China. The ASEAN nations also have other nations they trade with, the main reason to locate in Thailand would be access to all ASEAN markets. What manufacturing that exists in the ASEAN markets if offered free access to Chinese markets would have a significant impact on the Chinese industry. I would not expect the rates to drop anytime soon.


Before that could even matter the Chinese need to address the legality issues of ownership, who and where motorcycles can be owned and ridden. Certain areas are relatively unrestricted and other areas are totally restricted, the higher end products and relative required incomes are primarily within restricted ridding areas. With the exception of Shanghai and Beijing.


Current polices make all imports expensive and in that limit who can afford them. Then the regulation totally eliminate that market in urban markets by making ownership illegal.


Before they can open the markets to the imports they have to open up some access to legal ownership.


Urban areas that banned motorcycle could allow licenses but they have to be priced correctly, if the goal is to grow domestic production then the import tariff goes up not down, while allowing ownership in urban markets with licenses that allow unrestricted ownership. that also prevents rural owners access through pricing That being the plate would be related to where the owner lived, outside the city should be able to buy both types but inner city owner would be required to buy the premium license. The pricing is how to regulate and control, they really will not ever succeed selling premium bikes if they restrict access by those that can actually afford them. The result will be small sales volume and exorbitant prices, that’s fine since that market exists but creating urban licenses in banned areas for lowered prices and raising the tariff on imports would benefit the domestic industry. That would offers incentive for manufactures to increase production of premium models in China.


The reason that is not happening is that they know there are large numbers of illegal riders and also many will violate the regulations and as many will figure out ways to falsify and or bribe its enforcement away.


They need better systems and tougher actions against those committing violations within the systems.

[ZMC888]

What you are saying is correct. But as I've said hundreds of times before a new registration plate is required that allows riders of motorcycles 250cc and above to have car like rights, obligations and similar costs

[Nuhaus]

I used to have a table,an Excel spreadsheet, that I found on the ASEAN website it had all import codes, descriptions and rates. I deleted it though, when I first got it I checked it was 40%, it was dated 2009.


If you are that interested then try finding the data.

I used "asean thailand china filetype:xls" in google
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&a...xls&as_rights=

The rates are online someplace...playing with the search terms would eventually find it.

I had a feeling MJH might chime in on this. :) I'll keep looking but for now my Google fu is not up to the task, unfortunately. Very much wondering if after the costs of importing a bike on our own we would be saving money rather than going to a dealer.

[TB-Racing]

Is the difference single or double digits?

Very much wondering if after the costs of importing a bike on our own we would be saving money rather than going to a dealer.

Import tax depends on bike displacement and the import tax reduction is in the double digits. Only the manufacturer based in Thailand can get a Certificate Of Origin (Thailand) and was told only the manufacturer can export to ML China, no individual or dealer is able to export with a reduced import tax to ML China.

Someone mention that Ducati / China reduced pricing on some of the models incl. the Diavel, now this might be due to overstocked (2012) bikes or reduced import tax as the Diavel seems to have a Certificate Of Origin from Thailand (see pic in my earlier post)....