Import guide · Sint Maarten
How to Import Cars from China to Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten is the simplest landed-cost calculation of any market on this list. The Dutch side operates as a free port: Customs there functions primarily as a border-enforcement agency rather than a duty collector, and there is no general import duty or VAT on incoming goods. Your landed cost is essentially the vehicle plus the freight.
That changes what you should optimise for. With no tax wedge to engineer around, the decisions that matter are freight consolidation, spare-parts availability on a small island, and picking models a rental fleet or a retail buyer will actually keep for five years.
Sino Gear is a vehicle exporter, not a customs broker or a tax adviser. The duty, tax and age figures on this page were collected from the sources listed at the foot of the page and last checked in August 2026. They are set by Sint Maarten's authorities and change without notice — several were revised during 2026 alone. Figures we could not confirm against a primary government source are listed explicitly below. Nothing here is legal, tax or customs advice: confirm the current position with a licensed customs broker in Sint Maarten before you commit money to a shipment.
What the landed cost is made of
| Cost block | Indicative level |
|---|---|
| Vehicle (FOB China) | Model-dependent — see the catalog and used stock |
| Ocean freight + insurance | Roughly US$1,800–2,800 per car as a container share to Philipsburg, transshipment included |
| Import duty | None as a general import duty. The Sint Maarten Customs department states it "is mainly a law enforcement agency and not primarily an import duty collecting organization", and that "the only tax levied by Customs Sint Maarten is tax/excise on unleaded gasoline" |
| VAT / turnover tax on import | Not levied on imports; TOT applies to local business turnover |
| Clearance & handling | Customs handling, terminal charges and local delivery |
| Registration | Local vehicle registration and insurance, arranged on the island |
The free-port position is stated by the Sint Maarten Customs department itself, which is why the tax lines here are near-empty compared with other destinations. What we could not confirm from a primary source is whether any category-specific levy, excise or registration charge applies to vehicles in particular — confirm that, and the local handling charges, with an agent on the island before you budget. Figures on this page are indicative as of August 2026 and are set by Sint Maarten’s authorities, not by us — your customs broker confirms the exact charge for a specific VIN on the day of entry.
The free-port advantage, and what it means for you
Because there is no general import duty and no VAT on imports, the tax engineering that dominates decisions in Nigeria, Georgia or Azerbaijan simply does not apply here. Two importers buying the same car land it at almost exactly the same cost, and the only lever left is what you paid for the car and how efficiently you shipped it.
That has a practical consequence: it makes the vehicle price and the freight consolidation the entire competition. Buying three cars in one container instead of one car in three shipments is worth more to you here than in any duty-heavy market, because there is no tax line to dilute it.
No age restriction is reported, so used stock is viable — but on a small island where parts have to be flown or shipped in, a new unit with a live manufacturer warranty is usually the better commercial decision.
Rental fleets, parts, and buying in batches
Sint Maarten's vehicle demand is shaped by tourism: rental fleets replace on a cycle, and they buy several identical units at a time. That is the ideal container order — three matching cars in a 40′ HC, one parts list, one service procedure.
Because parts logistics on a small island are the real ownership risk, we ship a starter service kit with fleet orders on request — filters, brake pads, wiper blades and the model-specific consumables — so the first two services do not depend on an air-freight order.
Documents are issued in English: Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Bill of Lading and Certificate of Origin. Our minimum order is one unit if you want to trial a model before committing a fleet.
The process, step by step
- 1Quote & spec
Send the model, condition (new or used), quantity and your port — Philipsburg. You get a CIF quote with the vehicle price, ocean freight and documentation listed as separate lines, plus confirmation that the unit clears Sint Maarten's age and compliance rules before you commit.
- 2Deposit & inspection
Standard terms are a 30% T/T deposit with the 70% balance against the Bill of Lading. Before shipment you receive the VIN, a photo and video condition report, and — for EV and plug-in hybrid units — a battery state-of-health check.
- 3Shipping
Container loading (typically 3 cars per 40′ HC), usually via a regional transshipment hub out of Shanghai, Ningbo or Shenzhen, then roughly 35–45 days to Philipsburg. Container-loading photos and the container number go to you before the vessel sails, followed by the Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Bill of Lading and Certificate of Origin.
- 4Clearance & registration
Your Sint Maarten customs broker clears the unit (customs handling and local registration, with no general import duty) and registers it. We supply whatever document set the clearance needs — including a full English document set for your local agent — and reissue anything customs queries.
Routing to Philipsburg
Container shipping via a Caribbean transshipment hub is the standard routing. We book the option with the fewest transfers rather than the lowest headline rate — on this lane a cheap routing with two transfers regularly arrives later than a direct one.
What sells in Sint Maarten
Identical units bought three at a time, replaced on a cycle. Low running costs and simple servicing matter more than specification on a rental fleet.
See SUV catalogShort island distances suit battery-electric driving perfectly, and with no import duty to recover, the fuel saving goes straight to the operator.
See electric & hybrid stockConstruction, marine services and hospitality maintenance all run pickups. Durable, easy to resell locally, and unaffected by any duty banding.
See pickup catalogFrequently asked questions
The Sint Maarten Customs department states that it "is mainly a law enforcement agency and not primarily an import duty collecting organization" and that "the only tax levied by Customs Sint Maarten is tax/excise on unleaded gasoline". There is no VAT — turnover tax (TOT) is levied on local business turnover rather than on imports. Local handling, clearance and registration costs still apply, and we could not confirm from a primary source whether any vehicle-specific levy exists, so check that with a local agent before budgeting.
Essentially the FOB vehicle price plus ocean freight and insurance — roughly US$1,800–2,800 per car as a container share — plus local handling and registration. Without a duty and VAT wedge, freight consolidation is the main lever: three cars in one 40′ HC container costs far less per unit than shipping them separately.
Yes — that is the typical order here. A 40′ HC container holds about three cars, which suits fleet replacement cycles well. Our minimum is one unit if you want to trial a model first, and we can ship a starter service kit with fleet orders so the first services do not wait on air freight.
Roughly 35–45 days including a regional transshipment, plus 5–10 working days of document preparation and booking before the vessel sails.
Sources & verification
Figures on this page were last checked in August 2026 against the sources below.
- Whether any vehicle-specific levy, excise or registration charge applies. The Customs department describes its role and the gasoline excise, but says nothing about vehicles specifically, and we found no primary source that does.
- Local terminal handling, clearance agency and registration costs, which are quoted locally.
- Ocean freight ranges are our own commercial estimates.
We publish this list rather than presenting every number as settled. If any of it decides your purchase, have a licensed customs broker in Sint Maarten confirm it in writing first — and tell us what they say, so we can correct the page.
Get a CIF Philipsburg quote
Send the model, condition and quantity — you get the full cost build-up, VIN photos and the shipping schedule before any payment. Minimum order is one unit.
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