How long does a VIN check take?

A matter of seconds. You enter the number and get the country and city of the assembly plant plus the answer to whether that Celebrity meets the condition for the customs preference. The check is free, needs no account and can be repeated for every lot you consider.

Does a sale in the USA mean assembly in the USA?

No. American sales also move cars built in Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Where a car was auctioned has nothing to do with the origin condition, which is why the assembly plant of a Celebrity is checked separately, on the VIN.

Who deals with customs clearance?

We do. We put together the proof of origin, prepare the customs declaration and keep contact with the agency. For a Celebrity that qualifies on its VIN we apply for the 0% rate, and the customs office decides on the documents.

What about models built in two countries at once?

That is a common case, and it is exactly where the VIN becomes essential. Two Celebrity cars from the same model year can carry different rates, 0% and 10%, because they came off lines on different continents.

Does a Celebrity get zero duty?

It depends on the car. The preference covers cars finally assembled in the States, and the Celebrity is also produced outside the USA. Type in the VIN and we read the country and city of the assembly plant, so you see whether this car meets the 0% condition.

Does a Chevrolet Celebrity qualify for zero duty

American assembly covers 78% of the Celebrity cars in our database, and their numbers open with 1G1. That helps you sift listings, but the 0% rate cannot be pinned to a model — only the plant read for one specific VIN says whether the car meets the origin condition.

Where is the Chevrolet Celebrity assembled?

The split shows in the data: 36 Celebrity cars reached us with an American assembly plant, the rest came from plants in other countries. The first group qualifies for 0% duty, the second for 10%. The counts cover every car recorded in our database, not the current offer.

Plant	Country	VIN prefix	Cars in our database	Duty
Oklahoma City	United States	1G1	31	0% duty
Framingham	United States	1G1	5	0% duty
Oshawa #2	Canada	2G1	4	10%
Ste. Therese	Canada	2G1	4	10%
Ramos Arizpe	Mexico	3G1	1	10%

UPD 01.09

No customs agency currently clears cars at the 0% duty rate due to strict guidance from EU customs authorities. We keep pressing for the correct rate to be applied and will announce any change in a separate message.

Made in USA • Tax 0%

How do you check a specific car?

Enter the VIN and compare the result: if you see the Oklahoma City plant, that Celebrity came off an American line and qualifies for the 0% rate. Another plant means 10%, with no exceptions for version, equipment or model year. The check is free and needs no account.

How much will you save?

Run it down both routes, because the Celebrity exists on both: a car from an American line at 0% duty, a car from a plant outside the USA at 10%. The rest of the bill is identical — excise by engine size and 23% VAT. The calculator shows both versions from the same inputs.

Work out the import cost

What the import cost is made of

You get the rates here, not a finished figure — the calculator produces that on current data. Since 2026-07-01, duty on cars finally assembled in the States is 0% and 10% on everything else. Excise (3.1% or 18.6%) and 23% VAT are charged whatever the origin of the Celebrity.

Component	Rate
Duty — car assembled in the USA	0%
Duty — everything else	10%
Excise	3.1% up to 2.0 l, 18.6% above 3.5 l
VAT	23%

Rates, not amounts — the calculator works the sum out on current data.

Zero-duty paperwork — our job

Zero-duty paperwork is our half of the job. We read the assembly plant from production data, prepare the customs declaration and deal with the agency on your behalf. You pick a Celebrity and bid — we run the procedure.

What to watch for when buying at auction

The most common damage on a Celebrity in our database is features.lots.characteristics.damage_type.front_end, so start the photos and the report there. Repairing that area can eat the whole advantage of 0% instead of 10%, which is why you count it together with duty rather than separately.

Damage	Cars in our database
Front end	11
Normal wear	8
Mechanical	5

From the USA or from Europe?

The difference comes down to what you add and what you get back. Buying a Celebrity in Europe, you skip the ocean crossing and the clearance; buying in the States you add both, but on a car from an American line duty is 0% instead of 10%. Your choice depends on how much paperwork and repair you take on.

See current listings: Chevrolet Celebrity