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 Sportage 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 Sportage cars from the same model year can carry different rates, 0% and 10%, because they came off lines on different continents.

Can I check a car before the auction ends?

Yes, and that is the point of doing it. Enter the VIN from the lot while bidding is still open, read the assembly plant, and you know whether to count on 0% or 10% before you set the highest figure you are willing to go to.

Does a Sportage get zero duty?

It depends on the car. The preference covers cars finally assembled in the States, and the Sportage 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.

Kia Sportage from the West Point plant and 0% duty

Q: Where is the Kia Sportage assembled?

We read plants from the production data of cars that have passed through our database, so the list shows the real origin of individual cars rather than a manufacturer's plan. One model can have plants on two continents, which is why the country is checked for a specific VIN.

The answer depends on the car: the Kia Sportage is assembled in several countries, and the preference goes only to one that came off an American line. That car enters the EU at 0%, the rest at 10%. Neither the model name, nor the build year, nor the auction location settles it — the plant country in the production record does.

Where is the Kia Sportage assembled?

The Kia Sportage comes out of plants that do not always sit in the same country, and those plants set the rate. A car from an American line enters the EU at 0%, a car from a plant elsewhere at 10%. Every row here is built from real cars in our database, not from a manufacturer's plan.

Plant	Country	VIN prefix	Cars in our database	Duty
Gwang-Ju	South Korea	KND	24,424	10%
Gwangju	South Korea	KND	13,377	10%
West Point	United States	5XY	8,468	0% duty
Kwangju	South Korea	KND	1,281	10%
Whasung	South Korea	KND	149	10%

Made in USA • Tax 0%

How do you check a specific car?

The VIN settles the matter in seconds. Sportage cars from plants in the USA carry the prefixes 5XY here, but we look deeper — at the final assembly plant tied to the whole number. Only that answers the question of 0% or 10%.

How much will you save?

Run it down both routes, because the Sportage 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

Three tax lines and one variable. Duty follows the assembly country of your Sportage: 0% for an American line, 10% for any other. Excise goes by engine size — 3.1% or 18.6%. VAT at 23% is worked out last, on customs value with duty and excise added.

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

Proof of origin and clearance are on us. For a Sportage that the VIN places on an American line, we assemble the plant documentation and declare the car at the 0% rate. What we need from you is the car you picked and its VIN.

What to watch for when buying at auction

The most common damage on a Sportage 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	4,371
Rear end	1,587
Side	1,150

From the USA or from Europe?

The key difference is procedural rather than a matter of badge. A car from the European market goes through no import, a car from the States does — and then the assembly country counts: an American line means 0%, any other 10%, with excise and 23% VAT on top. For a Sportage, the check starts at the VIN.

See current listings: Kia Sportage