Copart or IAAI: Which US Auction Should You Choose When Importing to Lithuania

Anyone buying a car from the United States runs into the same two names almost immediately: Copart and IAAI. Between them they handle the majority of the vehicles that end up shipped to Europe.

The usual question — "which auction is better?" — is the wrong one. Both are marketplaces, not sellers. The quality of a car is decided by its own history, paperwork and condition, not by the logo above the listing. In practice you do not choose an auction; you choose a car. The auction only determines how you are able to buy it and which documents come with it.

Here is what actually differs between the two, and which of those differences matter when the car is headed for Lithuania.

How do Copart and IAAI differ?

Short answer: the main difference is where the cars come from. IAAI has historically been oriented toward vehicles written off by insurance companies, while Copart's inventory is broader — alongside insurance vehicles it carries fleet units, dealer stock and cars with no damage history at all.

The practical consequence is simple: if you are looking for a specific model, you have to search both platforms at once. Watching only one means seeing only part of the market — and often missing a better example of the same model listed on the other platform the same week.

Can you bid directly from Lithuania?

Short answer: not in every case. Both platforms require registration, and a portion of the inventory is restricted to licensed buyers. That is why private buyers in Europe generally purchase through an intermediary holding buyer status on both platforms.

This is not a formality. Whoever is registered as the buyer determines whose name appears on the auction documents, and who is recorded as the owner on the shipping and customs paperwork. It is worth settling before you choose an intermediary — we covered it separately in how to choose a car import broker from the USA.

Which auction has cheaper cars?

Short answer: there is no single answer, because the final figure is set by the individual car's hammer price and the fees added on top of it — not by the platform.

Both auctions add their own fees to the winning bid, scaled by price level and purchase method. We deliberately quote no specific amounts here: fee tables change, and an out-of-date number online misleads more than no number at all. The only figure worth comparing is the total to a defined point — for example, to the port of Klaipėda — provided in writing for your specific car.

Comparing two cars by the name of the auction is therefore meaningless. The meaningful comparison is two specific cars, priced to the same point.

Does the auction affect registration in Lithuania?

Short answer: not directly — but the document type very much does. Both platforms sell cars carrying different US state-issued title types, and some of those mean the car can never be registered for road use again.

This is the single most important technical check before bidding. Which vehicles cannot be registered in Lithuania at all is covered separately in what happens when your car arrives in Klaipėda. Vehicles marked in the US as non-repairable or parts-only can look attractive on price, but their purpose is dismantling, not driving. The title type is stated in the auction listing, though its meaning varies between states, so it has to be assessed per car rather than assumed.

Does the auction affect the duty rate?

Short answer: no. The duty rate is decided by the car's origin, not by the platform it was bought on.

Since 1 July 2026 a 0% import duty applies to US-origin vehicles, but not to every car bought at a US auction — origin decides, and it has to be evidenced with documents. Two identical models from the same auction can therefore land at different final costs. What "US origin" means legally, and why a VIN prefix alone is not sufficient proof, is explained separately in how to prove your car's US origin to customs.

So which one should you choose?

Short answer: both. Searching a single platform narrows your options with no benefit to you.

The order we work in ourselves:

1. Search both platforms simultaneously — model, year and budget matter more than the auction name.
2. Check the title type — establish whether the car can be registered at all.
3. Check origin — before bidding, because it determines the duty rate.
4. Price it to a defined point — and only then compare cars against each other.

You can browse the vehicles currently at auction in our vehicle listing, which shows cars from both platforms in one place so the search does not have to be run twice.

If you would like a specific car checked before the auction — title type, origin and the total cost to Klaipėda — get in touch. We check before bidding, not after.