Why this page exists: dealers email FCDC Motor every week with the same gap: they modeled FOB + freight and forgot that duty, VAT and port charges decide whether the container made money. This is the cost sheet we wish every first-time importer filled in before ordering. Numbers here are framework, not legal advice: duty rates change and your customs broker confirms the current rate for your destination before you transfer any deposit.
The HS code line you will actually use
Motorcycles with reciprocating internal combustion engines classify under HS 8711, specifically 8711.20 for 50–250cc engines in most tariff schedules, with neighboring lines for smaller and larger displacements. Electric motorcycles with drives sit under 8711.60 in the harmonized system. Two practical consequences:
The code is only half of the entry cost, so where an ASEAN origin claim is involved FCDC Motor keeps the certificate side in the ATIGA Form D guide to motorcycle import duty in ASEAN, including what the form has to state before the vessel sails.
- A 250cc KAYO K2 PRO and a 300cc KAYO T4L can land on different HS lines depending on your country’s tariff breakdown, so confirm per model, not per order.
- Electric off-road models like the HEZZO D9 (72V 45Ah battery) file under the electric line, where duty rates and required battery documentation differ from the gasoline line. In some markets the electric rate is lower; in a few it is higher. Check, do not assume.
The three cost lines dealers forget
1. Duty on freight, not just goods. In most customs valuations, the CIF value, goods plus freight plus insurance and is the duty base. A dealer who models duty on the FOB number alone understates duty by the entire freight share. On a $14,000 container at 30% freight share, that is real money.
2. Port and clearance charges per container, not per bike. THC, documentation fees, ISF filing (US), and a customs broker’s entry fee are charged per shipment. Spread across 20 bikes they are small; across a 3-bike sample order they can double the per-unit landed cost.
3. The battery documentation line for electric models. Lithium battery shipments need UN 38.3 test summaries and correct hazard labels for ocean freight. If the paperwork is not ready when the vessel booking closes, the container waits — and container detention is billed in days. FCDC Motor confirms battery documentation status before the booking, which is why we ask for destination early on Get Quote.
Filling the sheet: a worked structure
| Line | Source | Example basis (10 × K2 PRO) |
|---|---|---|
| Goods value | FCDC Motor quote | $14,500 FOB reference tier |
| Freight (20ft) | Forwarder quote | Your lane rate (get two quotes) |
| Duty | Broker, on CIF × rate | Rate per HS line × (goods + freight) |
| VAT / sales tax | Broker | (CIF + duty) × VAT rate where applicable |
| Port + clearance | Forwarder + broker | Fixed per shipment, divided by unit count |
| Inland delivery | Trucking quote | Port to your warehouse door |
Only after this sheet adds up does the FOB reference from FCDC Motor mean anything. A $1,450 FOB bike and a $1,450 FOB bike can differ by hundreds of dollars landed once duty lines and port charges are real.
What FCDC Motor provides, and what stays with your broker
We supply the commercial invoice, packing list, crate data, HS-relevant product specifications, and, for electric models and the battery documentation package. We do not issue customs rulings: whether your country charges 8711.20 at one rate or another, and whether your state or province adds environmental fees, is a broker question. Bring the model list and destination and we will make sure the paperwork matches what your broker files.
Send the model mix and destination port through Get Quote and FCDC Motor returns quote-ready specification data your broker can work from.