Quick Answer: Shipping a car from the USA to Panama costs from $1,980 port to port in a dedicated 20ft container (September 2026 rates, New Jersey origin), with ocean transit of 5 to 21 days depending on your gateway. Use the live price table and calculator on this page for your exact origin.
- A car to Panama ships in its own 20ft container port to port — you pay for the container, not the car, so a sedan and a pickup cost the same from the same port.
- Ocean transit to Panama runs 5 days from New Jersey, 7 from Houston, 11 from Los Angeles and 21 from Miami — the fastest port is not always the cheapest.
- Panama charges import duty plus ITBMS on the CIF value; a customs broker files with ANA and the final tax bill is separate from the freight.
- The calculator on this page prices your exact origin city in seconds — RoRo, door-to-door and motorcycle consolidation are quoted on request.
Ocean rates to Panama reprice every month with bunker adjustment factor (BAF) and vessel space, so the table under the opening answer updates itself. The numbers in this article carry their month so you always know how fresh they are.
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Go to the calculator →Reference prices: shipping a vehicle from the USA to Panama
| Departure port | Price | Transit |
|---|---|---|
| MiamiPort Everglades | $2,220 | 21 days |
| Houston | $2,470 | 7 days |
| New JerseyCheapestNew York | $1,980 | 5 days |
| Los Angeles | $2,520 | 11 days |
Port to port to Rodman or Colon Container Terminal, in USD, quoted with our system on September 28, 2026. Includes freight and US export charges; excludes import taxes and destination charges. Each vehicle travels alone in a 20 ft container; two can share a 40 ft one. The calculator on this page gives your exact price, with pickup and delivery. What our customers are quoted for a sedan, often with pickup and delivery: typically $2,671, half of them between $2,383 and $3,225 depending on the origin city.
Shipping from another state? Which port to read
Each port in the table is the one that cargo from these states usually leaves through. Miami: Florida. Houston: Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. New Jersey: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia and West Virginia. Los Angeles: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Hawaii. Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama ship through Savannah; Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota ship through Chicago (rail); Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Alaska ship through Seattle / Tacoma: those ports are not in the table yet. We pick up in every state, and the calculator finds the best port from your city.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car from the USA to Panama?
Quick Answer: A car to Panama ships port to port in a dedicated 20ft container starting from $1,980 from New Jersey in September 2026. Price depends entirely on your departure gateway, not the car model. The price table under the opening answer updates monthly, and the calculator prices your exact origin.
The pricing logic is simple. You buy the container, not the car. A sedan, an SUV, a pickup or a single motorcycle in a dedicated 20ft unit all carry the same port-to-port rate from the same gateway.
That surprises most first-time shippers. A Toyota Corolla and a Ford F-150 leaving Houston on the same vessel pay the same ocean freight. The steel box is the billable unit.
New Jersey(USNYC)
Panama(Rodman / CCT)
Miami(USMIA)
Panama(Rodman / CCT)
Those two examples are September 2026 quotes. For your own city and the current month, read the self-updating price table under the opening answer, then run the calculator at #quote-calc.
What does "port to port" actually mean?
Port to port means you deliver the vehicle to the departure terminal. You or your consignee collect it at Rodman or Colon Container Terminal. Nothing before the origin gate and nothing after the destination gate sits inside that number.
That boundary matters. Destination handling, storage, broker fees and Panamanian taxes are billed separately by parties in Panama, not by the ocean carrier.
What is quoted on request, with no published number?
- RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) sailings to Rodman
- Motorcycle or small car in a shared container (consolidation)
- Air freight for vehicles or vehicle parts
- Door-to-door pickup from your driveway
- Destination charges at Rodman or Colon Container Terminal
Each of those routes to a custom quote request through the same form. We do not publish a number we cannot hold.
Ocean rates move monthly with BAF, CAF, peak season surcharge and space availability. Never plan a Panama car shipment on a quote older than 30 days — the vessel space it was priced against is gone.
Still deciding between a sealed box and a RoRo deck? Our breakdown of RoRo vs Container Car Calculator: 2026 Rates compares both methods with live pricing logic.
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Enter your city and vehicle type — the rate for your gateway appears in seconds.
Go to the calculator →Which US Port Should Your Car Leave From?
Quick Answer: Your region decides your gateway, and the gateway decides both price and transit time to Panama. New Jersey sails in 5 days, Houston 7, Los Angeles 11 and Miami 21. The cheapest ocean leg can lose to inland trucking, so compare the total landed cost.
AB Group Shipping moves vehicles from anywhere in the USA and Canada. Your home region usually feeds one specific port.
- Florida and the Southeast → PortMiami or Savannah
- Texas and the central states → Port Houston
- California and the Southwest → Los Angeles / Long Beach
- The Northeast → Port of New York and New Jersey
- The Midwest → rail via Chicago to a coastal gateway
- The Pacific Northwest → Seattle
- Ontario → Toronto; Western Canada → Vancouver
Transit times by gateway
| Origin port | Port-to-port transit | Destination terminal | Sept 2026 rate (20ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 5 days | Rodman / CCT | from USD $1,980 |
| Houston | 7 days | Rodman / CCT | from USD $2,470 |
| Los Angeles | 11 days | Rodman / CCT | from USD $2,520 |
| Miami | 21 days | Rodman / CCT | from USD $2,220 |
Read that table carefully. Miami is cheaper than Houston but four times slower on the water.
Pro Tip
Miami's 21-day figure is not about distance — Panama is barely 1,200 nautical miles away. That service relays through Caribbean transshipment hubs before the Panama call. Direct strings out of the Gulf and the East Coast often beat it on days, even though the map says otherwise.
Pick the fastest gateway
New Jersey and Houston offer the shortest water time. If you need the car in Panama for a start date, pay the inland trucking and sail from the quick port. Five days from New Jersey beats three weeks of Caribbean relays.
Pick the cheapest total
Trucking a car from Denver to Houston or Atlanta to Savannah is its own cost line. The calculator adds it once you enter your city. Sometimes the slower port wins on total landed cost, sometimes it does not.
Port cut-off is not the vessel ETD
These are two different deadlines, and shippers confuse them constantly. Documentation cut-off typically closes 48 to 72 hours before the ship sails. Cargo cut-off at the terminal closes earlier still.
Miss either one and your container rolls to the next weekly sailing. On a 21-day Miami service, one missed cut-off can mean a month of delay.
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Compare gateways, transit days and rates for your origin in one screen.
Go to the calculator →Container or RoRo: Which Is Better for Panama?
Quick Answer: A dedicated 20ft container is the standard choice for Panama because it protects the vehicle and lets you ship a car alone with a published port-to-port rate. RoRo suits running vehicles and oversized units but is quoted case by case at Rodman. Both land at Balboa-area terminals.
Why most Panama shipments go in a container
- The vehicle travels sealed, protected from salt air, rain and deck handling
- The car does not need to run or drive
- Personal effects handling can be discussed with your Panamanian broker before loading
- You get a firm published port-to-port rate, not a case-by-case estimate
When RoRo makes sense
RoRo vessels load vehicles that drive on and drive off. That suits running cars and units taller than a container's internal height.
RoRo to Panama is quoted on request. We publish no number for it here because the rate depends on vessel, deck space and dimensions.
Some units never fit a container
RVs, motorhomes, semi-trucks, heavy machinery and aircraft exceed container internal dimensions. They move on a flat rack or a RoRo vessel, and a project cargo specialist prices them after the calculator takes your request. Any website quoting these as a standard container rate is quoting something it cannot deliver.
Can a motorcycle share a container?
Yes, on request. Motorcycles and compact cars can share a 20ft unit through consolidation. Each unit is priced individually and the loading is scheduled around a fixed departure date.
Consolidation trades a lower per-unit cost for less schedule control. If your dates are tight, a dedicated container sails when you book it.
For a full method-by-method cost comparison, see RoRo vs Container Car Calculator: 2026 Rates. If you are also sending household goods or furniture with the car, our guide to USA-Latin America FCL vs LCL: The 10 CBM Breakpoint explains when a full container beats consolidated cargo.
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Container rates price instantly. RoRo and oversized loads route to a specialist.
Go to the calculator →What Documents and Taxes Does Panama Require?
Quick Answer: Panama requires the original title, bill of sale, commercial invoice, Bill of Lading and your passport or cedula, cleared through ANA by a licensed Panamanian customs broker. Import duty applies on the CIF value, plus ITBMS at 7 percent. A broker files the declaration; freight charges are separate.
Document checklist
- Original Certificate of Title, free of liens
- Bill of sale or Factura Comercial
- Bill of Lading (B/L) issued by the carrier or NVOCC
- Passport or Panamanian cedula of the importer
- Power of attorney for your broker's ANA filing
The 72-hour title rule holds your container, not the ship
According to CBP regulations under 19 CFR Part 192, the original title must be presented at the port of export at least 72 hours before the vehicle loads. Submit it late and the vessel sails without your container. A photocopy will not clear export.
How Panama's import tax math works
Panama charges duty on the CIF value — cost, insurance and freight. ITBMS at 7 percent then applies on the duty-paid value.
Here is the arithmetic with placeholder figures so you can plug in your own:
- Build the CIF value: vehicle price + insurance + ocean freight. Example: $12,000 + $200 + $2,220 = $14,420.
- Apply the duty rate for your HS classification. At a hypothetical 15 percent: $14,420 × 0.15 = $2,163.
- Add duty to CIF: $14,420 + $2,163 = $16,583 duty-paid value.
- Apply ITBMS at 7 percent: $16,583 × 0.07 = $1,161.
The duty percentage varies with HS classification and engine size. Your Panamanian customs broker confirms the exact rate before arrival.
Exemptions, vehicle age and salvage titles
Returning residents and diplomatic personnel may qualify for exemptions under Panamanian law. These are decided case by case, and a licensed Panamanian customs broker is the correct authority — not a freight forwarder.
Vehicle age and emissions restrictions change by decree. Confirm eligibility before you buy, especially for salvage-title or rebuilt vehicles, which face extra scrutiny at ANA.
Shipping spare parts alongside the car? The classification and documentation logic carries over — see Importing Auto Parts from USA to Guatemala: Full Guide for how parts are declared separately from the vehicle.
How Do You Use the Car Shipping Calculator on This Page?
Quick Answer: Enter your pickup city, the vehicle type and your destination terminal in Panama, and the calculator returns a port-to-port price in seconds. No signup, no email, no follow-up calls. Services without a published rate — RoRo, air, door-to-door — route to a custom quote request instead.
- Select your vehicle type: sedan, SUV, pickup or motorcycle.
- Enter your origin ZIP code or city — the system maps it to your gateway.
- Choose Rodman or Colon Container Terminal as the destination.
- Read the instant rate plus the transit days for that gateway.
What the number includes and excludes
Included
Ocean freight port to port, container, and the sailing on the stated transit. That is the line item the calculator holds.
Not included
Destination handling at Rodman or CCT, storage, Panamanian broker fees, duty and ITBMS. Those bill separately in Panama.
Have these three details ready
The VIN, the title status and whether the vehicle runs. They rarely change the container price, but they change the booking — a non-running car needs winching at the loading warehouse, and that has to be arranged before cut-off.
The timeline to plan around
Book 7 to 10 days before the sailing. Deliver the car before the documentation cut-off. Then add your gateway's port-to-port transit, plus clearance time in Panama.
Comparing Panama against other Central American lanes? Our breakdowns of Shipping Times USA to El Salvador 2026: 1-25 Days and LCL Shipping USA to Guatemala 2026: Instant Quotes use the same gateway logic.
With thousands of shipments processed across the USA–Latin America corridor, we price the lane you actually ship, not an average. Run your origin through the calculator on this page and get a real port-to-port number for your car in seconds — no email, no sales call, and a live rate for the current month.
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Your city, your vehicle, your Panama terminal — priced in seconds.
Go to the calculator →Ship your car with AB Group Shipping
Explore our overseas car shipping services: RoRo, container or air from any US port, with your rate in 60 seconds.
Ocean transit port to port runs 5 days from New Jersey, 7 from Houston, 11 from Los Angeles and 21 from Miami. Add 7-10 days of booking and port cut-off time before the vessel sails, plus customs clearance at Rodman or Colon Container Terminal on arrival. Inland trucking from your city to the departure port adds more days.
No — in a dedicated 20ft container you pay for the container, so a sedan, SUV, pickup or motorcycle carries the same port-to-port rate from the same gateway. The price changes with your departure port and the month you book, not the model. Check the price table on this page or run the calculator for your exact origin.
Panama applies an import duty on the CIF value of the vehicle, then ITBMS at 7 percent on the duty-paid value. The exact duty rate depends on the HS classification and engine size, and a licensed Panamanian customs broker files the declaration with ANA. These taxes are separate from the ocean freight quoted by the calculator.
Yes, but not in a container — RVs, motorhomes, semi-trucks, heavy machinery and aircraft exceed container internal dimensions and move on a flat rack or a RoRo vessel. These loads are quoted individually by a project cargo specialist after you submit the request through the form on this page. No standard published rate applies to them.
Yes — US Customs and Border Protection requires the original Certificate of Title, free of liens, submitted at the port of export at least 72 hours before the container loads. A copy will not clear export. Panama Customs then requires the title, bill of sale, Bill of Lading and your passport or cedula for the import declaration.
Guides for shipping to Panama
- International Moving Cost from Miami to Panama: 2026 Prices & Required Documents · Household move calculator
- FCL Miami to Panama 2026: Pricing & Cost Calculator · Container (FCL) calculator
- LCL Shipping Miami to Panama 2026: Small Business Cost Calculator and Transit Times · Consolidated cargo (LCL) calculator
- Miami to Panama Shipping Calculator: Transit Times 2026 · Boxes & packages calculator
- Car Import Requirements Panama: Complete Documentation Checklist for US Vehicles
- Exporting Food from the USA to Panama: Requirements