Buying car parts from Europe (Autodoc and others) when they don't ship to your country

Short answer: Autodoc doesn't ship outside Europe, but anything it delivers inside Europe can be forwarded. Autodoc's help centre lists 28 European delivery countries — from Spain and Germany to Norway, Switzerland and the UK — and none in North or South America, Australia or Asia; it even suggests delivering to a listed country for collection or forwarding (Autodoc help centre, search snippet checked 3 November 2026). European parts are often cheaper and easier to find than at home, especially for European makes, so a European receiving address is the usual workaround.

Find the exact part first

Fitment is the expensive mistake. Autodoc lets you search by registration plate (in supported countries), by make, model and engine, or by OEM part number (Autodoc part-number guide). From abroad, the most reliable route is the OEM number: take it from your old part or from a dealer's parts catalogue with your VIN, then search that number. Keep in mind that the same model can differ between the European and the American versions (emissions equipment, lighting, steering side).

Which car parts are dangerous goods

Everything else — brakes, filters, suspension, sensors, lights, body parts — ships as normal freight. Heavy and bulky items (exhausts, bumpers) are priced by volumetric weight, so consolidating a whole job into one box matters.

US duties on European car parts in 2026

Many auto parts carry a normal US duty of 2.5% (HTS 8708.99.81; third-party tariff databases). On top of that, the 2025 Section 232 tariffs on auto parts apply — but for parts of EU origin the US–EU framework caps the total at 15%: a part whose normal duty is below 15% is topped up to 15%, and one at 15% or more pays no extra 232 duty, retroactively from 1 August 2025 (US CBP CSMS #66336270, 24 September 2025). Parts made outside the EU but sold by a European shop are dutiable at their own origin's rate. And there is no small-parcel exemption any more: the $800 de minimis has been suspended for all countries since 29 August 2025, indefinitely since June 2026. Duties are paid at destination by the recipient.

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