Need help importing a 1971 tractor from England

daedong · Feb 28, 2005

<font color="blue">I used to import water from Austrailia for my business </font>
Bob,

You must be joking water in this country is one of our shortest resources. Water campaigns here tell us all the time we live in the driest state on the driest continent on earth and we export it.

Bob_Skurka · Feb 28, 2005

Vin, the water was called WALKABOUT SPRINGS and it was water mixed with fruit juice. Kiwi water was the most popular and was a very bright green color. It came is small 10 ounce bottles and I used to sell about a container load a month. Unfortunately, I could not get them to ship it in bulk and then bottle it here in the US, as our consumer tastes changed, all the competition came out with 16-oz bottles for the same price as the little 10oz bottles. We eventually dropped the line. To my knowledge, it is no longer availble in the US anywhere, but at the time I was doing it, there was a group of us importing it and we each serviced our own region.

I'd had several meetings with the owners, we became friendly, I can't recall, but seems to me it was about 10 years ago. I recall a couple conversations where he had to turn in some guns that were being outlawed??? That may help you date when it was going on.

daedong · Mar 1, 2005

<font color="blue"> I recall a couple conversations where he had to turn in some guns that were being outlawed??? That may help you date when it was going on. </font>

Bob,
It would have been at the time.
When gun laws were reveiwed in oz

Bob_Skurka · Mar 1, 2005

Vin, that article, tragic as it is, is dated 1996, that seems to recent. In fact, after writing my prior post I started thinking that it might have been closer to 12 ot 15 years ago.

Not wanting to start up the gun versus anti-gun debate, but it is interesting that here in the US, the states that have the most liberal gun laws and allow their citizens to carry them concealed have the lowest rates of violence and crime. I have to wonder how that story would have played out here in Indiana where the town Police Chief processes & the State is REQUIRED to issue a concealed carry license to anyone within 30 days if they are not legally barred from getting one.

PineRidge · Mar 1, 2005

Bob why not save yourself a big headache. Find an old Army tank and strip off the turrent. It will do the same thing in the snow and there won't be any stopping it.

art · Mar 2, 2005

Bob, we have several tractor importers here in NY. From what they tell me it costs around 1600 per unit by container to get them to there yard.

1bush2hog · Mar 2, 2005

They are probably putting more than one tractor per container for that price.

Expect to pay $2500 for ocean freight, and $150 for CHB, plus whatever duties and fees will be applicable.

Go with a CHB at the port of entry, as someone suggested.

THE NCBFAA has a website listing member companies. One can find many reputable CHB's here.

Von · Mar 2, 2005

Bob, Just reading this now! I only paid $36.00 for duty to import the cab for the unimog. It was labeled as a tractor cab, and parts. It did take about two months of headaches to get it here. Customs held it up, the crate was broken into and parts taken, (missing the front splash guards and fuel tank). I still have not paid the shipper on this side, until the parts show up, or they take $500.00 off of the bill. Plus the condition of the cab, but thats the sellers fault for lying to me on the condition of it. Have a claim in with the credit card company with that one, as well! So I can say this, good luck! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Von

Bob_Skurka · Mar 2, 2005

Well you guys are really cheering me up! The typical quote I am getting is about $1800 plus any duty (not sure but it sound like that will be minimal) plus may another $200 to $250 for some fees. So all told roughly $2100 to $2200 into the port in Chicago, a couple hundred less into NY harbor, but I pay more in gas and hotels just going to pick it up so Chicago is actually cheaper overall.

Time and headaches seem to be the biggest hurdles. I expected the time to be 8 to 10 weeks. The headaches seem to come from lack of answers. One of the companies has offices in England and in Chicago, I'd really like to work with them as they have answered every question and given me a lot of hope . . . BUT THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN ME A QUOTE and I've been waiting for almost 2 weeks. I'd pick them if their quote is anywhere from the middle down, because they seem like the best, lowest headache company so far. Most quotes fall in the middle, but one was so far over everyone else that I dismissed it. The guy with the lowball bid ended up revising his bid and it put it right in the middle with most of the others.

By the way, it will share a container with other goods, so that will save some money, the high bid had it taking a container all by itself.

shoppintractors · Mar 7, 2005

Bob,

You missed your calling. I don't see your name on the build team. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Tonight on the Discovery Channel, "Monster Garage" restores a 1970's snow cat.

http://dsc.discovery.com/

Don