Importing a car from China to New Zealand: full landed-cost guide 2026

Duties, VAT, who can import, what gets in, shipping — and the DDP price of 28 popular Chinese models in New Zealand, computed by our rules engine with sources and verification dates.

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Who can import and what gets in

⛔ Right-hand drive only: China-market LHD cars cannot be imported — needs the RHD version
• Who can import: Individuals and companies may import; commercial importers must register with NZTA and open a Clean Car Standard account
• The car must be certified to a standard New Zealand recognises (ADR / ECE etc.); Chinese GB standards alone do not pass entry certification
• Biosecurity inspection on arrival: the car must be clean inside and out

Tax rules and sources

Passenger cars: import duty 0%; GST 15% (on landed value) ↗ official 2026-09-20
Clean Car Standard: the 2026 passenger-car target is 108 g/km; new cars are charged NZ$15 to the importer per gram above it (cut from $67.50 on 2026-01-01); cars below target earn the importer credits; a NZ$22.46 administration fee applies at first registration ↗ official 2026-09-20
Right-hand-drive market — left-hand drive needs a special permit; every imported car must pass entry certification (safety, emissions, frontal impact) by an NZTA-approved organisation and comply with a standards regime New Zealand recognises (Australian ADR / UN-ECE / Japan / USA); Chinese GB standards are not among them ↗ official 2026-09-20
On arrival the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) carries out a biosecurity inspection; the car must be clean inside and out ↗ official 2026-09-20

Right-hand-drive market: Chinese domestic left-hand-drive cars cannot normally be registered. Duty 0% and GST 15%, so the tax burden is light; the hurdle is compliance — the car must carry a standard New Zealand recognises (Australian ADR, UN-ECE, etc.); a car certified only to Chinese GB standards fails entry certification, so in practice only right-hand-drive export versions can enter. The Clean Car Standard charges NZ$15 per gram above 108 g/km on new cars; BEVs and PHEVs pay nothing.

Popular models: DDP price in New Zealand

Model	Ex-works	DDP
BYD Atto 3 (Yuan Plus)	$15,244	$25,303
BYD Atto 2 (Yuan Up)	$11,845	$21,375
BYD Sealion 7	$23,062	$34,339
BYD Seal U (Sealion 6)	$17,938	$28,417
BYD Tang EV	$30,750	$43,224
XPeng G6	$24,600	$36,116
Tesla Model Y (Shanghai-built)	$30,750	$43,224
XPeng G9	$34,680	$47,766
Changan Nevo Q05	$14,935	$24,946
BYD Seal EV	$21,525	$32,562
BYD Han EV	$22,550	$33,747
Zeekr 001	$33,660	$46,587
MG4 EV	$18,450	$29,008
XPeng MONA M03	$17,425	$27,824
BYD Dolphin	$11,330	$20,780
XPeng X9	$42,840	$57,197
BYD Song Plus DM-i	$14,935	$24,946
BYD Seal 05 DM-i	$10,815	$20,184
Geely Coolray	$10,815	$20,562
Geely Xingyue L (Monjaro)	$17,425	$28,202
Chery Tiggo 8 Pro	$15,450	$25,919
Changan CS75 Plus	$13,390	$23,538
GWM Haval H6	$13,905	$24,134
MG5	$7,725	$16,991
MG7	$15,887	$26,424
Changan UNI-V	$12,360	$22,348
AITO M7	$38,760	$52,482
AITO M9	$69,020	$87,455