Freighting an engine from the USA?

[Bubbleboy]

Does anyone have any experience with freighting an engine from the USA to Australia? I will have a partially rebuilt engine in a crate to come over and wondering what freight forwarders people have used and what their experiences were?

 

Regards Scotty

 

 

[old man emu]

Hey Scotty!

 

Haven't heard from you in ages. How's the build going? You could contact an airplane importer as see if they might be able to whack your engine in with a plane they are bringing in. Might only cost you the price of getting the box to their depot in the States. You could ring Dent at Camden for a lead.

 

OME

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Hi Mark.....yes I have been laying low...lol.

 

Build is really progessing. I am building the spars at present which is the last of the big stuff. Then there is the multitude of little stuff! You can see progress at www.scottyspietenpol.com

 

Scotty

 

 

[fly_tornado]

any of the myriad of car importers would be able to ship your engine, I just put mine on pallets, secured all the extras in a big storage box which was tied onto the pallet with wire.

 

 

[farri]

....Build is really progessing. I am building the spars at present which is the last of the big stuff. Then there is the multitude of little stuff! You can see progress at www.scottyspietenpol.com Scotty

Hi Scotty, I`ve just had a look at your web site! Very nice, I`m impressed....All the very best to you.

 

Frank.

 

 

[Valdiviano]

Buy Just Cars magazine, a few adds there.

 

 

[cavalon48]

ok here are some of the issues you will encounter, if on a pallet you will need an SP15 certification from an authorised body (the wood need to be heat treated by a licensed cargo handler) you will need a declaration from the rebuilder stating that the engine is clean and free from dirt, grit, soil etc.

 

It depends on the size of engine, you can try interparcel (i brought a hirth back from germany was $700 aud all up foamed up in a cardboard box no wood 38kg), you will need the dimensions and weight to get a quote or you can use a broker.

 

If you like a broker " priority cargo " speak with Dora 0290911111 mention Carl from AJ Australia they import from any where in the world, they have just brought in aircraft parts from France.

 

 

[Geoff13]

My small piece of advice is no matter what else you do, use an Australian based import agent. Overseas agents will be cheaper on paper but there is a reason for that.

 

 

[cavalon48]

My small piece of advice is no matter what else you do, use an Australian based import agent. Overseas agents will be cheaper on paper but there is a reason for that.

sorry, trying to understand what you are saying or have i missed something. You mean customs broker right, they have to be licensed in Australia or they cannot handle your cargo (you cannot use an overseas agent unless you want to travel, different story). Usually a customs broker here will contact their nominated broker in the country of origin. I have between 10 to 15 containers every month from Asia, US and EU, using 2 brokers to keep them honest, this is my business i ought to know the traps, unfortunately i do not advice, i provide the facts in the real world.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

facts matey facts!

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Thanks guys...all good information. I appreciate it. I have contact CH Freight today and they are going to give me a quote. It weighs 113kg and is in a crate 760mm square.

 

Scotty

 

 

[440032]

ISPM15 is the timber treatment (fumigation) compliance used in USA. METH-O-GAS Methyl bromide 100% chemical, for wood destroying insects. 24 hrs fumigation.

 

That's what my whole container got. Wood things, in wood boxes, with wood packing. Included a boxed used engine with no special attention, mentions or declarations required - it was on the manifest. AQIS officer took a peek, no problem. Box can also be fumigated here upon arrival. There or here, doesn't matter. Probably cheaper there.

 

C&H Freight - 2 thumbs up from me. Christine is tops Scotty. What US state is this thing coming from?

 

 

[fly_tornado]

fwiw in 2010 I paid $600 to ship from the USA for 2 pallets with bmw twins and $120/$130 to ship them to the port in the US. When they where landed I had to pay 10% GST and 5% import duty on the invoice prices

 

 

[cavalon48]

There is no duty on aircrafts or aircraft parts, but 10% GST applies to cost of goods and freight converted in AUD. Once the weight goes over 50kg the cost goes up, $98 to $105 per cubic mtr if in box just for a forlift driver to unload from an LCL container if ocean freight. Airfreight is different again, charges vary. If you bring an engine with a declaration from supplier stating warranty repair, there are no gst charges, may have to pay $70 brokerage fee for the customs and AQIS lodgements.

 

 

[Geoff13]

sorry, trying to understand what you are saying or have i missed something. You mean customs broker right, they have to be licensed in Australia or they cannot handle your cargo (you cannot use an overseas agent unless you want to travel, different story). Usually a customs broker here will contact their nominated broker in the country of origin. I have between 10 to 15 containers every month from Asia, US and EU, using 2 brokers to keep them honest, this is my business i ought to know the traps, unfortunately i do not advice, i provide the facts in the real world.

You can call them an import agent or custom broker I don't really care. What I was saying is to use an Australian based one not just one with authority to operate in Australia. I am aware that they have to be licensed in Australia but they do not have to be based here. My advice was simply to use one based here.

 

I don't import much stuff and what I do is normally via post. I do however move a lot of containers off the wharf for several agents and lots of larger companies. At least once a week we get one that has been handled by a non Aussie based Agent and inevitably it has strings attached. The worst one was a lady importing 3 wool looms (2nd Hand) from the USA. Handled by an American based but Australian licensed Agent. By the time she got to me, there was over $10,000.00 storage due. I managed through some contacts to get that halved but as quarantine hadn't even been booked it could still not even be released into under bond storage. The end story was she had to walk away from them and forfeit them for destruction. These were being imported for a charity and for the sake of a couple of hundred bucks saved they became scrap. Wharf storage when it goes wrong can cost $1000.00's and adds up at an increasing rate. You want someone in Aussie handling it so if it goes wrong you can kick some doors in.

 

I am not in the habit of recommending agents even though I work for several suffice to say that if it is a second hand engine, you use an Aussie based one and the first question you should ask is what experience do they have in importing second hand engines. They do have some special rules.

 

 

[skeptic36]

You can call them an import agent or custom broker I don't really care. What I was saying is to use an Australian based one not just one with authority to operate in Australia. I am aware that they have to be licensed in Australia but they do not have to be based here. My advice was simply to use one based here.I don't import much stuff and what I do is normally via post. I do however move a lot of containers off the wharf for several agents and lots of larger companies. At least once a week we get one that has been handled by a non Aussie based Agent and inevitably it has strings attached. The worst one was a lady importing 3 wool looms (2nd Hand) from the USA. Handled by an American based but Australian licensed Agent. By the time she got to me, there was over $10,000.00 storage due. I managed through some contacts to get that halved but as quarantine hadn't even been booked it could still not even be released into under bond storage. The end story was she had to walk away from them and forfeit them for destruction. These were being imported for a charity and for the sake of a couple of hundred bucks saved they became scrap. Wharf storage when it goes wrong can cost $1000.00's and adds up at an increasing rate. You want someone in Aussie handling it so if it goes wrong you can kick some doors in.

 

I am not in the habit of recommending agents even though I work for several suffice to say that if it is a second hand engine, you use an Aussie based one and the first question you should ask is what experience do they have in importing second hand engines. They do have some special rules.

I had a similar experience when I used a US agent, not only did I get touched for a customs inspection which probably didn't happen, but then due to communications that where supposed to happen but didn't I was liable for storage. It was only that I recieved some excellent service from the Australian agent I engaged to get me out of the poop that it didn't cost me a whole lot more.

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

I got a quote today for $2000. That doesn't include GST or insurance. Sounds a little high to me but then again maybe that is the going rate?

 

Scotty

 

 

[fly_tornado]

try some of the car importers

 

 

[Soleair]

Scotty, I'm going to be importing an engine from Canada very soon, so I'm watching this thread with great interest.

 

Bruce

 

 

[Geoff13]

I got a quote today for $2000. That doesn't include GST or insurance. Sounds a little high to me but then again maybe that is the going rate?Scotty

I had a quote 6 months ago to airfreight an engine from Europe and it was about $2000.00 including everything (GST DG fee customs fees, x-ray fees broker fees etc). That was a weight of 65kgs and 1.5 cubic metres.

 

 

[440032]

Sounds rather high. You can get a whole car here for near 3000. Try the car importers. A lot of them have a regular customs clearing agent all teed up.

 

 

[DGL Fox]

So what approximately would be the cost to bring a aircraft from say Italy to Brisbane? disassembly, packaging it up and then reassembly here... any ideas??

 

David

 

 

[Bubbleboy]

Thanks guys...I have a few leads at present so will let you know how I go.

 

Scotty

 

 

[Soleair]

I have now collected my brand new shiny Compact Radial Engines MZ202 from Sydney Airport. And what a splendid piece of kit it is!

 

I tried various import agents to get a price on the handling of Australian customs, etc. The shipping was organized by CRE in Canada.

 

I shortlisted 3 agents, based on their response to my initial telephone call (which was identical for all 6 or 7 I contacted). I got quotes from all three. These varied from $960 to $294. Remember this is just for dealing with the paperwork to import, plus local airport charges (which are legion) - not the cost of freight or the Greedy Sod's Tax added to the value of the engine + freight cost.

 

I went with the cheapest, & received faultless service and excellent communication via both phone & email. No problems at any point, and based on this very low sample (of 1!) I can certainly recommend the agent I used. This is SAC Import Clearance. The contact is the lovely Ms Chris McKirdy. (I think she is the main man).

 

For the sake of interest, the engine weighed 52kg & was well packed in a cardboard box - NO WOOD! The air freight charge from British Columbia to Sydney was 498USD.

 

I researched all the engines I could find in the 45 - 65hp bracket, and shortlisted to the Rotax 582 & the MZ202. In the end I went for the MZ because it was lighter and forced fan cooled, so no hassle or increased frontal area to accommodate the radiator. Incidentally, I weighed both my old Rotax 503 & the MZ202, using the same scales, and the MZ is almost exactly 10kg lighter than the 503. And the MZ is electric start vs. the rope started Rotax.

 

And as a final bonus, the cost of the MZ202 fully landed & arrived at my shed was less than the Rotax 582. OK, there is the difficulty of lack of dealership in Oz, but Leon Massa at CRE is very easy to talk to, and extremely helpful. And given these engines are standard fitment on Mosquito helicopters, where they run at sustained high revs most of their life, I do not expect too many issues running at <75% power on my MiniMax.

 

Sorry - I digress and apologize for the thread drift.

 

Bruce

 

 

[Soleair]

Just on the engine, forgot to say: as well as being 10kg lighter & electric start, the MZ also makes 30% more power than the Rotax 503. (And this is reportedly borne out in real world experience rather than ideal dyno numbers). (Sorry, I just really like my new engine.)