import costs

Okay, you’re really asking two questions. The first is about the car. The second is about everything else.

The car and everything else can be shipped in the same shipping container. We always recommend that you contact a shipper here in Costa Rica to make the arrangements. Getting the container to your storage facility is the easy part. Negotiating things at the Costa Rican end is where their expertise becomes invaluable.

A shipper here can arrange everything from loading the container at your storage facility in Alabama to delivering it and unpacking it at your new home. They do it all the time. What they’ll do for you depends upon what you want them to do. Discuss it with them.

Some Costa Rica-based shippers will give you a guaranteed rate for the services you specify [u]including Customs duty[/u].

The car is a somewhat different matter. It will be subject to the valuation applied by the Ministry of Hacienda plus the costs of inspection, registration, etc. Again, the shipper can give you a very accurate (but maybe not perfect) cost quote for the car.

The cost of the shipping container is fixed whether it’s full or empty, so if there’s something you think you might want to own here, bring it. The additional cost will be virtually zero. And do consider bringing a load of consumables. Dishwasher detergent isn’t universally available, so bring a couple or three cases. The cost is the same.

We have dealt (happily) with Arden Brink of http://www.shipcostarica.com (Arden@shipcostarica.com). She would be our first choice for a mover. She can also bring small items or quantities of goods in a consolidated container which she ships from Florida every month or so. Arden can give you a very accurate estimate of your costs.

And bear this in mind: Whatever you want to own here will be less expensive to ship than to buy locally, and the selection and the ease of locating it will make it worth it. You’re shipping the container, so why not fill it up??