Shipping a Car From the USA to Georgia (Poti): Costs, Time

This guide follows a car from a US salvage auction yard to Poti or Batumi on Georgia's Black Sea coast: the haul to a US port, RoRo or container, the US export paperwork, the sea time, what the port of Poti charges, and the customs clearance zones on arrival. Prices come only from public price pages, with the date we read them. They are published ranges, not quotes. Excise and duty are in Georgia car excise by year and the rs.ge customs calculator, field by field; plates in Registering an imported car in Georgia; the full cost in Landed cost in Tbilisi.

Step 1: from the auction yard to a US port

The car has to be trucked from the yard to the export port or the forwarder's warehouse. Public price pages give (checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally):

About $175–$900, depending mainly on distance. One hauler's 2026 dispatch data puts the median at $175 under 100 miles and $650 over 1,200 miles, before its own fee (Y7 Logistics); its Poti page uses a typical 336 miles at about $299 (Y7 Logistics). Another page gives $250–$900 (AB Group Shipping).
US ports on the Georgia price pages: New York/New Jersey, Baltimore, Savannah, Miami, Houston and Los Angeles/Long Beach. There's no official list of "main" ports.

Step 2: US export paperwork (CBP's 72-hour rule and AES)

Title: CBP requires the original certificate of title (or a certified copy) and two complete copies. A salvage title that is still in force is accepted (CBP, checked 20 Oct 2026).
72 hours: for export by ship, the vehicle and its documents must be presented to CBP at least 72 hours before export (CBP; 19 CFR 192.2, checked 20 Oct 2026).
AES: electronic export information must be filed for used vehicles regardless of value (15 CFR 30.2, checked 20 Oct 2026). Forwarders usually file it.

Step 3: RoRo or container (car shipping cost from USA to Poti)

RoRo (roll-on/roll-off): the car is driven onto the ship. The price pages describe RoRo as for running vehicles (Seaway; rorofromusa.com, checked 20 Oct 2026).
Shared container: your car shares a container with others. It takes non-runners, but it may wait until the container is full.
Own container (20ft or 40ft): costs most per car unless you fill it.

Published prices, US → Poti, per car (public price pages, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally):

Method	Range	Number of sources
RoRo	$1,200–$1,650	3
Shared container	$1,500–$2,400 (outliers: from $800 ocean only for a dealer loading 4 per box; about $3,300 from New York/New Jersey with US export handling)	3 (+2 outliers)
Container, type not stated	$1,800–$2,300	1
Own or full 20ft/40ft container	$2,000–$5,400	3

Public prices as shown on each shipper's site on 20 October 2026. Not a recommendation or endorsement. Prices change; get a written quote.

Source	Method	Published price	What it says it includes
Seaway Export (checked 20 Oct 2026)	Shared container	$1,600–$2,400	"Indicative ranges from the U.S. East Coast", "confirmed at booking"
Seaway Export (checked 20 Oct 2026)	Own 20ft / 40ft container	$2,800–$4,000 / $3,800–$5,400	Same notes as above
Seaway Export (checked 20 Oct 2026)	RoRo	"Custom quote" (no price)	Page lists RoRo but publishes no RoRo rate
BidGoDrive (checked 20 Oct 2026)	RoRo / shared container / 40ft (to Poti)	$1,300–$1,600 / $1,600–$2,000 / $3,200–$4,400	US departure port not stated; destination duties, taxes, unloading and port handling extra
CFR Classic (checked 20 Oct 2026)	RoRo / shared container / full container	East Coast → Poti: $1,300 / $1,500 / $2,000; West Coast → Poti: $1,650 / $1,600 / $3,050	Single figures per route; page says shipping "starts around" $1,300
All Transport Depot (rorofromusa.com) (checked 20 Oct 2026)	RoRo / container (type not stated)	$1,200–$1,600 / $1,800–$2,300	"Typically"; ports Poti and Batumi
West Coast Shipping (checked 20 Oct 2026)	Consolidated (shared) container	about $3,300 per standard car, New York/New Jersey → Poti	Includes US export handling, container loading and ocean freight; Poti port handling, storage, broker, duties not included
Y7 Logistics (checked 20 Oct 2026)	Shared 40ft container, 4 cars per box (ocean only)	from $800 per car, Savannah → Poti	"Partner forwarders' tariff", tariff v2 effective 1 Oct 2026 (page updated 14 Oct 2026); Poti terminal and forwarder (THC) $200–$250 and Poti port and storage $100–$150 extra

Few pages publish Georgia prices: we found six, all from shippers, brokers or dealers selling the service, and only three give a RoRo price. Ask every forwarder what the price covers: port to port or door to port, loading, insurance and the charges in Poti. FlipRadar has no deal with any of them and gets nothing from them.

Step 4: how long it takes to Poti or Batumi

Shipper pages give about 20–50 days at sea: about 20 days on one (CFR Classic); 25–35 days New York/New Jersey → Poti, 27–37 Savannah → Poti, 30–40 Houston → Batumi and 40–50 Los Angeles → Poti on another (Seaway); 25–30 days from the East Coast and 35–40 from the West Coast, plus 1–2 weeks of US loading, on a third, which also gives "80–90 days door-to-port" from New York/New Jersey (West Coast Shipping). All checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally; these are shipper claims. Add the haul to the port, the 72-hour CBP window and the wait for a shared container to fill.

Step 5: arrival in Poti or Batumi

Port charges (Poti): the port operator's 2026 tariff lists 130 GEL (≈$50) per car to strip it from a container, excluding VAT, and car storage, including VAT, free for the stripping day plus 3 days, then 30 GEL a day on days 5–6, 35 on days 7–13 and 40 on days 14–60. RoRo wheeled cargo under 5 tonnes is $50 a unit at the quay, excluding VAT (APM Terminals Poti tariff, effective 1 Jan 2026, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally). The tariff doesn't say which of these your freight price already includes, so ask. One forwarder page adds $200–$250 for terminal handling and the Poti forwarder, and $100–$150 for port and storage (Y7 Logistics, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally). GEL to USD at the NBG rate of 2.5979 published 19 Oct 2026 (NBG).
Customs clearance zones: the Revenue Service runs zone "Poti" at 32 Ivane Javakhishvili Street, Poti, open 24 hours every day, and zone "Batumi" at Adlia, Khelvachauri municipality, open 24 hours from Monday 10:00 to Saturday 18:00. There are also zones in Tbilisi (Revenue Service, checked 20 Oct 2026).
Deadlines: a car moving from the Poti or Batumi seaport to a customs warehouse or clearance zone within 12 km must arrive within 12 hours, and a car in transit has up to 60 calendar days to reach the clearance place (Revenue Service, checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally).
Taxes: excise and import duty depend on engine size and age; use the official calculator, explained in the rs.ge customs calculator, field by field. There's no import VAT on a passenger car (Tax Code Art. 173(z), checked 20 Oct 2026 · estimate — confirm locally); some shipping pages say otherwise.
Then plates: transit plate, viewing and registration are in Registering an imported car in Georgia. The wider rules are on Importing a US auction car into Georgia.

Put it into the free calculator

The live max bid calculator is a free USD worksheet with no account: max bid = resale − repair − buyer fee − transport − title and registration − target profit. Put the yard-to-port haul, ocean freight and Poti port charges into Transport, using the upper end of the range until you have a written quote. Excise, import duty and the ≈480 GEL of fees go into Title and registration. It has no customs fields and doesn't know Georgia.

Open the max bid calculator →

Want this inside the browser? The FlipRadar Chrome extension version with Market Profiles adds lari amounts, landed cost at your port, a walk-away line, and warnings at the 6-year excise line and for cars that may not meet Euro 5. It's in private beta and not in the Chrome Web Store. The private beta is free. To try it, email hello@theflipradar.com and ask for the private-beta extension.

FlipRadar is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any auction company, shipper, hauler, port operator, CBP or the Revenue Service. FlipRadar isn't a forwarder, broker or customs agent.

FAQ

How much does it cost to ship a car from the USA to Georgia?

On public price pages checked on 20 Oct 2026, RoRo from the US to Poti runs about $1,200–$1,650 per car (3 sources) and a shared container about $1,500–$2,400 per car (3 sources). Outliers: one dealer tariff starts at $800 for ocean freight only, and one page starts at about $3,300 from New York/New Jersey including US export handling. The haul from the auction yard to the US port, Poti port charges, excise, import duty and fees are extra. These are published ranges, not quotes. Estimate — confirm locally.

Should I ship to Poti or Batumi?

Most price pages we read quote Poti; several also name Batumi, and one lists a Houston to Batumi route. The Revenue Service runs a customs clearance zone at each: Poti in the town of Poti and Batumi at Adlia, Khelvachauri (rs.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026). Ask your forwarder which port your sailing uses.

How long does shipping from the USA to Poti take?

Shipper pages give about 20–50 days at sea: about 20 days on one page, 25–35 days from New York/New Jersey and 40–50 from Los Angeles on another, and 25–30 days from the East Coast and 35–40 from the West Coast on a third, which also mentions 80–90 days door to port from New York/New Jersey (checked 20 Oct 2026). These are shipper claims. Loading, export paperwork and the wait for a shared container add time. Estimate — confirm locally.

Is RoRo or a container better for a salvage car going to Georgia?

RoRo ships take cars that are driven on and off, and the price pages describe RoRo as for running vehicles (checked 20 Oct 2026). A car that doesn't run usually goes by container. Only 3 of the pages we read publish a RoRo price to Poti. Estimate — confirm locally.

What does the port of Poti charge for a car?

The Poti port operator's 2026 tariff lists 130 GEL per car to strip it from a container (excluding VAT) and storage from the fifth day after stripping at 30–40 GEL a day (including VAT), with stripping day plus 3 days free; RoRo wheeled cargo under 5 tonnes is $50 a unit at the quay (excluding VAT) (APM Terminals Poti, effective 1 Jan 2026, checked 20 Oct 2026). One forwarder page adds $200–$250 for terminal handling and the forwarder, plus $100–$150 port and storage. Ask what your freight price already covers. Estimate — confirm locally.

How long do I have to get the car to customs clearance in Georgia?

The Revenue Service sets up to 60 calendar days for a car in transit to reach the clearance place, and 12 hours to move from Poti or Batumi seaport to a customs warehouse or the Poti or Batumi clearance zone within 12 km of the port (rs.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026). Estimate — confirm locally.

Do I pay 18% VAT on a car imported to Georgia?

No import VAT on a passenger car: Tax Code Art. 173(z) exempts the import of passenger cars from VAT (legali.ge, checked 20 Oct 2026). Some shipping pages say 18% VAT applies; that doesn't match the Tax Code. You pay excise, import duty and fees, which the official rs.ge calculator shows. Estimate — confirm locally.

What is CBP's 72-hour rule for exporting a car?

For a used vehicle exported by ship, US Customs and Border Protection requires the vehicle and its documents, including the original title or a certified copy plus two copies, to be presented at least 72 hours before export (cbp.gov and 19 CFR 192.2, checked 20 Oct 2026). Electronic export information must also be filed for used vehicles regardless of value (15 CFR 30.2).

Where does shipping go in the FlipRadar calculator?

In the Transport line. The free max bid calculator is a USD worksheet with no customs fields: add the yard-to-port haul, ocean freight and Poti port charges there, and put excise, import duty and fees in Title and registration.

Sources

CBP, Exporting a Motor Vehicle: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/export-docs/motor-vehicle (checked 20 Oct 2026)
19 CFR 192.2: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-19/chapter-I/part-192/section-192.2 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
15 CFR 30.2: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-15/subtitle-B/chapter-I/part-30/subpart-A/section-30.2 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Revenue Service, customs clearance zones: https://voice.rs.ge/Default.aspx?id=4494 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Revenue Service, transit and delivery terms: https://voice.rs.ge/Default.aspx?id=4384 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Revenue Service, car calculator: https://www.rs.ge/CarClearance-en (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Tax Code Art. 173, legali.ge: https://legali.ge/law/1043717/muxli-173/ (checked 20 Oct 2026)
MEPA, Euro 5: https://mepa.gov.ge/En/News/Details/21297 (checked 20 Oct 2026)
National Bank of Georgia: https://nbg.gov.ge/en/monetary-policy/currency (rate published 19 Oct 2026)
APM Terminals Poti, tariffs (effective 1 Jan 2026): https://www.apmterminals.com/en/poti/services/tariffs (checked 20 Oct 2026)
Price pages (public prices, no endorsement), all checked 20 Oct 2026: https://www.seawayexport.com/destinations/shipping-to-georgia · https://www.bidgodrive.com/help/international-shipping · https://cfrclassic.com/international-car-shipping/car-shipping-to-georgia/ · https://www.rorofromusa.com/car-shipping-to-georgia/ · https://www.wcshipping.com/georgia · https://www.y7agency.com/import-from-usa · https://www.y7agency.com/auction-to-port-transport · https://www.abgroupshipping.com/blogs/en/international-car-shipping-calculator

Shipping a car from the USA to Georgia (Poti and Batumi): costs, timing and arrival