It depends on the car's value, type and destination. RORO means the car is driven onto the vessel and secured on deck or in the hull. It is usually cheaper per car and does not involve container packing fees. The downside: the car sits exposed to salt air for weeks, and RORO service is limited to ports with dedicated terminals. Container shipping (one 20ft or 40ft container per 1-2 cars) costs more but gives much better protection. It is strongly recommended for electric vehicles (battery safety regulations), luxury cars, and vehicles going on long voyages or rough sea routes. Practical tips: whichever method you choose, ask for the car to be shipped with a full battery charge disconnected at the terminals, tire pressures adjusted, and a condition report with photos signed at loading. For EVs, confirm the shipping line accepts used electric vehicles and what state-of-charge limits apply.

This is considered a force majeure risk. We will require the vehicle's state of charge (SOC) to be maintained in a safe dormant range of 30%-50% before loading, and we will insure you for all marine risks under CIF terms. If the battery suffers thermal runaway total loss due to abnormal cargo hold temperatures, the insurance company will compensate.

The key document is the 机动车登记证书 (Vehicle Registration Certificate), the green booklet proving ownership. Along with it, the seller should provide the 行驶证 (driving license for the vehicle) and their ID. Verification steps: 1. Check that the VIN/chassis number on the certificate matches the car exactly, stamped on the dashboard and door frame 2. The certificate's 所有人 (owner) field must match the seller's company name or the export agent they claim to work with 3. Look at the registration history pages—frequent transfers in a short period can indicate problem cars being flipped 4. Confirm the car is not marked 抵押 (mortgaged/pledged to a bank) Be cautious if the seller only shows photos of these documents and refuses a live video panning across the original booklet with the day's newspaper. Also verify the export company has 二手车出口资质 (used-car export qualification)—a legitimate exporter will share their license number, which you can cross-check on Chinese commerce bureau websites.