Route rate sheet · Sea freight · Canada to Ghana
Ship a car from Canada to Ghana
Halifax, Montréal, Vancouver to Port of Tema in a sealed container. One price covers ocean freight, export handling in Canada and marine insurance; destination port charges, duty and VAT are shown separately below.
Rates verified 8 Nov 2026 · page refreshed 10 Nov 2026
7,500 km great circle · 14-76 days
Rates verified 8 Nov 2026 · page refreshed 10 Nov 2026
At a glance
Canada to Ghana car shipping: cost, time and rules
Shipping a car from Canada to Ghana with IPAS Express costs from $4,627 port to port for one car in its own 20ft container, with sea transit of 14-76 days. Ghana requires left-hand-drive cars, which suits Canadian-market vehicles. Cars over 10 years old pay an extra overage penalty on top of duty and taxes.
Ghana requires left-hand-drive vehicles, so Canadian-market cars match; right-hand steering needs ministerial approval.
- Steering
- Left-hand drive required
- Ghana drives on the right. Right-hand-steering vehicles need the Minister's approval, so Canadian LHD cars fit.
- Age limit
- No ban in force; overage penalty above 10 years
- The overage penalty is 5% above 10 years, 20% above 12, 50% above 15, 70% above 25 and 100% above 35, on CIF. A 35% duty and a ban on cars over ten years old are enacted but not yet in force.
- Main charges
- Import duty 5%, 10% or 20%; VAT, NHIL and GETFund 20% combined
- Duty depends on engine size and fuel. Also ECOWAS levy 0.5%, AU levy 0.2%, EXIM levy 0.75% and Special Import Levy 2%. No import excise on cars.
- Typical total
- About 36.14% of CIF for a new 1,001 to 3,000 cc petrol car
- About 30.14% on the 5% duty lines and 48.14% on the 20% lines, including hybrid, plug-in and electric cars.
- Not allowed
- Salvaged vehicles
- Cars wrecked or damaged without a clean title are prohibited.
- Ports and clearance
- Tema or Takoradi; GRA Customs Division via ICUMS
- Duty is based on the CIF value.
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Rate sheet · Port of Halifax (Autoport) → Port of Tema
What it costs, line by line
Insurance is figured on a declared value of $46,600 (reference vehicle: 2025 Ford F-150). Every line comes from the same tables the calculator reads, so the quote you get matches this sheet.
1 car · own 20ft container
Any car up to 5.6 m, sealed; door-to-door available
$4,627per car $4,627- Ocean freight
- $3,500
- Export handling
- $1,025
- Insurance
- $102
- Destination est. (at port)
- $1,750
2 cars · 40ft high-cube
Two cars you ship together, or a group booking
$6,225per car $3,113- Ocean freight
- $4,500
- Export handling
- $1,525
- Insurance
- $200
- Destination est. (at port)
- $1,750
3–4 cars · racked 40ft HC
Compact cars on a rack system; racking quoted per booking
Quoteper car from ~$1,700- Ocean freight
- $4,500
- Export handling
- on request
- Insurance
- per value
- Destination est. (at port)
- —
RoRo · per car
Oversize vehicles only; not offered for passenger cars
On requestper car —- Ocean freight
- on request
- Export handling
- on request
- Insurance
- —
- Destination est. (at port)
- —
Scroll for line-by-line costs →
| Shipping option | Total · IPAS price | Per car | Ocean freight | Export handling (Canada) | Insurance 0.2% | Destination charges · est., payable at port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 car · own 20ft containerAny car up to 5.6 m, sealed; door-to-door available | $4,627 | $4,627 | $3,500 | $1,025packaging $500 · THC $275 · clearance $250 | $102 | $1,750THC $250 · customs handling $1,500 |
| 2 cars · 40ft high-cubeTwo cars you ship together, or a group booking | $6,225 | $3,113 | $4,500 | $1,525packaging 2×$500 · THC $275 · clearance $250 | $200 | $1,750THC $250 · customs handling $1,500 |
| 3–4 cars · racked 40ft HCCompact cars on a rack system; racking quoted per booking | Quote | from ~$1,700 | $4,500 | on request | per value | — |
| RoRo · per carOversize vehicles only; not offered for passenger cars | On request | — | on request | on request | — | — |
Door pick-up within the port's standard radius adds about $660 per car. Insurance is 0.2% of the declared vehicle value, with a per-car minimum. Destination charges are paid at Port of Tema on arrival and are not part of the total. Duty and VAT are not in this table either: see the landed-cost examples below or run CarImport.AI. Ocean figures are our current route rates and update when the rate table changes.
Included in the IPAS price
- Included: Export packaging, chocking and lashing inside the container
- Included: Export customs clearance in Canada
- Included: Terminal handling at Port of Halifax (Autoport)
- Included: Ocean freight Port of Halifax (Autoport) → Port of Tema
- Included: Marine insurance at 0.2% of the declared value
- Included: Bill of Lading, packing list and tracking
Not included
- Not included: Destination port charges (shown per row; paid at Port of Tema on arrival)
- Not included: Ghana customs duty and VAT
- Not included: Conformity certification and registration inspection
- Not included: Inland collection unless door pick-up is selected
- Not included: Storage or demurrage after the port's free days
- Not included: Personal effects: the car ships empty
Ports & inland reach
Where your car leaves and arrives
Load ports · Canada
Canada
Port of Halifax (Autoport)
Halifax, Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada
Port of Montréal
Montreal, Quebec and Ontario
Port of Vancouver (Annacis Auto Terminal)
Vancouver, British Columbia and Western Canada
Discharge ports · Ghana
Ghana
Port of Tema
Tema, Accra and southern Ghana
Port of Takoradi
Takoradi, western Ghana
Timeline
Booking to keys in hand
- 2–5
1. Booking and export documents at origin
days
- 2–4
2. Container loading and export customs
days
- 21–28
3. Ocean transit
days
- 1–3
4. Arrival and discharge at the Ghanaian port
days
- 3–7
5. Customs clearance and duty payment
days
- 2–10
6. Registration and collection
days
Typical door to door: 4–8 weeks.
Documents
Paperwork on both ends
We prepare the shipping set; you supply the ownership and identity documents.
Export side · Canada
Before the car can load
- 01Original vehicle registration / ownership
- 02Bill of sale
- 03CBSA export declaration (CERS)
- 04Photo ID
- 05Bill of lading
Import side · Ghana
To clear and register in Ghana
- 01Customs declaration through ICUMSCleared by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division.
- 02Clean title and proof of year of manufactureSalvaged vehicles are prohibited, and the overage penalty is set by age from year of manufacture.
Landed-cost examples · Ghana
Cars worth importing to Ghana
Landed-cost examples for Ghana, from other origins.
Available now in Canada
Export-ready units from Canada
Importing to Ghana
Registering a car from Canada in Ghana
What buyers shipping from Canada need to know about Ghana's import duties, steering rules and registration.
Ghana imposes a 9-component tax stack totalling 33.2%-49.4% of CIF value on imported vehicles, driven by engine capacity and fuel type. Ghana is a left-hand-drive (LHD) market, so right-hand-drive vehicles face restrictions and are discouraged by policy. Expect import duty, six specific levies, and 15% VAT layered on top of CIF.
Import Process: Ghana
- 1
Pre-Shipment Inspection and ICUMS Declaration
Complete pre-shipment inspection at origin and file the import declaration through Ghana Customs ICUMS (formerly GCNet) before the vessel arrives at Tema or Takoradi.
- 2
Vessel Arrival and Bill of Lading Release
Vessel berths at Tema (primary) or Takoradi; the shipping line releases the original Bill of Lading against payment of destination terminal handling charges.
- 3
Customs Duty Assessment and Payment
Ghana Revenue Authority assesses the 9-component duty stack based on CIF value and HS code; pay import duty, six levies, and 15% VAT via ICUMS-linked banks.
- 4
Port Clearance and Vehicle Release
Submit receipted duty payment, Bill of Lading, and inspection certificate to Customs; vehicle is released from the Tema or Takoradi bonded terminal.
- 5
DVLA Inspection and Roadworthy Certificate
Present the vehicle to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority for physical inspection, emissions check, and issuance of the roadworthy certificate.
- 6
Registration and Plate Issuance
DVLA assigns a Ghanaian registration number, issues number plates, and records ownership on the national vehicle registry — vehicle is now road-legal.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Importing a vehicle older than 10 years without budgeting the overage penalty
Fix
Confirm the year of manufacture against the 10-year ECOWAS-aligned cap before shipping; overage surcharges can push est. landed cost up sharply and some model years may be refused outright.
Shipping a right-hand-drive (RHD) vehicle to Ghana
Fix
Ghana is an LHD market. Source LHD inventory from USA, Europe, or the UAE re-export hub rather than RHD units from Japan, UK, or India.
Skipping pre-shipment inspection at the origin port
Fix
Ghana requires documented pre-shipment inspection evidence at ICUMS clearance. Arrange inspection before loading the vehicle on the vessel to avoid demurrage at Tema.
FAQ
Canada to Ghana shipping questions
With IPAS Express, shipping one car from Canada to Ghana costs from $4,627 port to port in its own 20ft container, with sea transit of 14-76 days. Import duty and taxes in Ghana are paid on arrival and are not included.
Yes. Ghana drives on the right and requires left-hand-drive vehicles, so Canadian-market cars match. Right-hand-steering vehicles need the Minister's approval.
Cars over 10 years old can still be imported but pay an overage penalty of 5% to 100% of CIF by age. A 35% duty and a ban on cars over ten years old are enacted but not yet in force. Salvaged vehicles are prohibited.
Import duty is 5%, 10% or 20% by engine size and fuel, plus ECOWAS 0.5%, AU 0.2%, EXIM 0.75% and Special Import Levy 2%. VAT, NHIL and GETFund add 20% combined. A new 1,001 to 3,000 cc petrol car totals about 36.14% of CIF.
Ocean transit from the east coast takes 14-76 days. Vancouver sailings take longer. Allow extra days for export documents, loading, discharge and customs clearance.
Use the port closest to the car: Halifax, Montreal or Vancouver. Cars discharge at Tema or Takoradi, so choose the one nearer the buyer.
Ghana applies additional penalty surcharges on vehicles approaching or exceeding 10 years from date of manufacture, calculated on top of the standard 33.2%-49.4% tax stack. The exact surcharge scales with age and fuel type; vehicles far beyond the cap may be refused at Customs.
Ghana drives on the right and uses left-hand-drive vehicles. RHD vehicles are heavily discouraged by policy and face registration friction at DVLA. Source LHD inventory from USA, Europe, or UAE to avoid complications.
Yes. Ghana requires pre-shipment inspection documentation at ICUMS clearance. The inspection must be completed at the origin port before the vehicle is loaded onto the vessel; arriving without it triggers demurrage and re-inspection delays at Tema.
After Customs releases the vehicle, present it to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority for physical inspection, emissions check, and roadworthy certificate. DVLA then assigns a registration number and issues plates — this is a separate process from duty payment.
Tema port handles most Ghana-bound vehicle imports and charges destination terminal handling, port storage, and customs processing fees. Takoradi is the secondary option. Budget 5-10 days after vessel arrival for ICUMS clearance, duty payment, and physical release.
Keep exploring
Related routes and guides
Other origins → Ghana
Canada → other destinations
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