Shipping a boat to Europe - EU retaliatory tariffs US built vessels

[Jack C]

I am considering shipping my US built boat, an Day 39 to Europe from the US to cruise in the Med.

I am not up to an Atlantic crossing.
Shippers tell me they can offload to dock or water in Italy or Greece and warn me that I may face 25% duty (not VAT) due to EU retaliatory tariffs that were imposed in 2018 when Trump taxed EU Aluminium imports. The duty was to have been raised to 50% last June but that was stopped. The 25% is still in place and may be eventually dropped.

I believe that if I sail to the EU there is no duty as the boat is in transit but offloading from a ship is regarded as an import.

Has anyone in the last 3 years shipped a US built boat to Europe and if so did they get charged duty?

[Orion Jim]

Section 232 is still in place under Biden….. https://www.reuters.com/business/us-...dy-2021-05-25/
According to a “left leaning” think tank they have revived an industry.

[robinco]

Delivery skipper?

[psk125]

An O'Day 39 might be able to handle the Med, but sailing there from the U.S. could put the equivalent of 5 years of wear & tear on the boat. OP is right to want to have it shipped.

[AZUS]

Ship to Britain, sail to Med?

[George DuBose]

"but sailing there from the U.S. could put the equivalent of 5 years of wear & tear on the boat"

That sounds like something one hasn't done.

In June 2009, I sailed from St. Pierre to Baltimore, Ireland in 15 days. All downwind, no storms, hardly even any rain. It was cold (8°C) until we cleared the Labrador current.

I would look into shipping the boat to The Netherlands, they are quite relaxed about shipping boats, VAT and PCA tests.

It seems that the countries lining the Med all want to put their hands in your pockets. Especially Croatia.

[Jack C]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

"but sailing there from the U.S. could put the equivalent of 5 years of wear & tear on the boat"

That sounds like something one hasn't done.

In June 2009, I sailed from St. Pierre to Baltimore, Ireland in 15 days. All downwind, no storms, hardly even any rain. It was cold (8°C) until we cleared the Labrador current.

I would look into shipping the boat to The Netherlands, they are quite relaxed about shipping boats, VAT and PCA tests.

It seems that the countries lining the Med all want to put their hands in your pockets. Especially Croatia.

George, thanks for the suggestion. Last time I looked The Netherlands are still in the EU. Unless there has been a Nedexit?

So a customs agent could decide to apply the tarif.

What has been your experience with Croatia? Sounds bad?

[chasfgr]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

"but sailing there from the U.S. could put the equivalent of 5 years of wear & tear on the boat"

That sounds like something one hasn't done.

In June 2009, I sailed from St. Pierre to Baltimore, Ireland in 15 days. All downwind, no storms, hardly even any rain. It was cold (8°C) until we cleared the Labrador current.

I would look into shipping the boat to The Netherlands, they are quite relaxed about shipping boats, VAT and PCA tests.

It seems that the countries lining the Med all want to put their hands in your pockets. Especially Croatia.

That last is a comment I'd second - the most relaxed I found to be Mediterranean France - but then I speak the language.
Venice was great - but they pride themselves on being the world's first internationalists. Finding a berth was highly informal - I found Santa Elena the most relaxed and economic.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by psk125

An O'Day 39 might be able to handle the Med, but sailing there from the U.S. could put the equivalent of 5 years of wear & tear on the boat. OP is right to want to have it shipped.

Originally Posted by George DuBose

That sounds like something one hasn't done.

Nah, George. You've just not got any context about psk125.

He is a high-profile racer (no names mentioned), has more than one boat, and all of his boats are maintained at an EXTREMELY shiny-shiny, tip-top-and-Bristol-fashion state of go-fast readiness.

So if you put yourself in psk's shoes, a transatlantic in one of his gorgeous thoroughbred racing machines would put the equivalent of 5 years' wear-and-tear on one of those babies!

Now is it a bit more clear...?

It's all about the perspective!
Warmly,
LittleWing77

[Chanticleer]

We shipped our yacht over there in 2013 and stayed on board for five years sailing all over the EU.

Our opinion?
Spend a few months in Europe 'on holiday' and buy a boat there. There are some great boats available, and travelling around finding 'the one' is great fun.
Bonne chance!

[psk125]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

"but sailing there from the U.S. could put the equivalent of 5 years of wear & tear on the boat"

That sounds like something one hasn't done.

In June 2009, I sailed from St. Pierre to Baltimore, Ireland in 15 days. All downwind, no storms, hardly even any rain. It was cold (8°C) until we cleared the Labrador current.

I would look into shipping the boat to The Netherlands, they are quite relaxed about shipping boats, VAT and PCA tests.

It seems that the countries lining the Med all want to put their hands in your pockets. Especially Croatia.

It took us 22 days from Connecticut to Cork on an Ohlson 38. We had days of gale-force winds and waves up to our spreaders - about 20'. Along with calms, fog, cold and rain. It was not all downwind, though we did set the spinnaker when warranted. Other passages one has taken on other boats involving Marblehead, Halifax, Newport, Bermuda and Tortola have also not all been downwind with hardly even any rain. An O'Day 39 might be capable of making the trip, but would likely suffer greatly from wear & tear that they are not really built to withstand. Weeks of North Atlantic waves and weather are not the same as being cosseted in a slip on the Maryland shore in Chesapeake Bay and taken out on weekend daysails when it's nice out.

[goboatingnow]

Typo will repost

[goboatingnow]

You are entitled to temporary import admission ( nothing to do with being “ in transit “) but you have to sail in on the craft not commercially shipped

The U.K. also imposes the 25 % tarrif on us origin boats.

I would make contact with a customs agent on the EU to see what could be done. Greece tends to be quite flexible for example.

[LittleWing77]

Aren't you in Tel Aviv right now? What happened with your engine?

Why not get Boatie (Boatman61) to sail from Tel Aviv to the Med or from New Bern to the Med with you?

Guess the real problem is the "when" of this whole equation, though, isn't it...

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

[double u]

talk to
https://catamarantwooceans.wordpress.com/
he had his boat shipped from Tahiti to Cyprus, Miki is an Israeli