Ship a Car from USA to Japan | Duty, Tax & Shaken

Japan has a loyal market for American cars: full-size pickups and SUVs, Mustangs and Corvettes, classic American iron, and US-built versions of Japanese models that were never sold in Japan. Japan charges no import duty on cars, and left-hand-drive cars can be registered. What decides the project is registration: a privately imported car has to pass Japanese inspection, usually after lighting changes, and the owner needs a parking certificate before plates are issued.

AGF coordinates the US end from Glendale — pickup anywhere in the country, presentation of the title to CBP, the EEI filing and container loading through partner facilities in Los Angeles. In Japan we work through WCA partner agents, who clear the car through customs and coordinate with the inspection and registration specialists it needs; AGF has no office in Japan.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Shipping Cars & Pickups from USA to Japan

Most private cars travel in containers: a 20ft for a single car, or a shared 40ft — three or four cars with racking, fewer when they are full-size pickups. RoRo is an option when a sailing fits the car and the destination port. From Los Angeles/Long Beach, direct container services typically reach Tokyo or Yokohama in roughly 12–18 days port to port; Nagoya, Kobe and Osaka depend on the rotation, and cars from the East or Midwest are trucked to the West Coast first or sail from an East Coast port.

Two US deadlines drive the schedule: the original title, free of liens or with the lienholder's release, goes to CBP at the export port at least 72 hours before export, and Electronic Export Information is filed for every used vehicle, whatever its value. In Japan, the car is checked for soil under plant quarantine rules, so it should leave clean underneath.

20ft for one car; shared 40ft for three or four cars with racking
Los Angeles/Long Beach to Tokyo or Yokohama: roughly 12–18 days port to port
Title to CBP at least 72 hours before export; EEI for every used vehicle
Clean underbody for Japanese plant quarantine

What Drives the Cost

Japanese consumption tax: 10% on the customs value at import, with no import duty on cars
Japanese registration taxes after clearance, which vary with fuel efficiency, weight and engine size
Inspection and modification: lighting changes, emissions and noise documentation, and specialist fees
Sole or shared container, or RoRo where a sailing fits
US inland transport to the export port
Delivery in Japan and the parking certificate the owner must obtain

HS Codes and Duty Notes

Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Codes are confirmed with the licensed customs representative at destination before you ship.

HS Code	Products	Notes
8703	Passenger cars and SUVs	No Japanese import duty; 10% consumption tax at import. The US export is filed under the matching Schedule B number in the EEI.
8704	Pickup trucks	No Japanese import duty; 10% consumption tax. A pickup's size and weight decide its Japanese registration category, and with it the annual taxes and inspection cycle.
8711	Motorcycles	No Japanese import duty; 10% consumption tax. Inspection requirements depend on engine size.

Regulations and Compliance

US export: title, EEI and screening

Every vehicle exported from the US is presented to CBP with its original title, or an accepted substitute, at least 72 hours before export, and the title must be free of liens or accompanied by the lienholder's release. Electronic Export Information is filed in AES for every used vehicle, regardless of value. We handle both at the export port.

Japanese duty and taxes

Japan charges no import duty on cars. The 10% consumption tax is collected at import, and once the car is registered it pays Japan's registration taxes — an environmental performance levy, automobile tax by engine size and weight tax — which the importer or specialist calculates for your car.

Inspection and lighting changes

A privately imported car must pass Japanese inspection (shaken) before registration. American cars usually need lighting changes — amber rear turn signals where the car uses red, and headlamps set for left-hand traffic — plus emissions and noise documentation, and sometimes other equipment changes. Specialist importers in Japan do this work; costs vary by car, so get an estimate before you ship.

Japan's 2026 change for US-built cars

In 2026 Japan moved to accept US safety certification for US-built passenger cars without extra domestic testing. The change is aimed at manufacturers and their import channels; a car shipped by a private owner still goes through inspection and registration in the usual way.

Parking certificate and plant quarantine

In most of Japan, a car cannot be registered until the owner obtains a parking certificate (shako shomei) from the police proving an off-street space. Japanese plant quarantine does not admit soil, so a car arriving dirty underneath is cleaned at the importer's cost.

Door-to-Door Shipping Service

We collect the car anywhere in the US and bring it to Los Angeles or the nearest suitable port, present the title to CBP, file the EEI and load it in a sole or shared container — photographed at loading — or deliver it to a RoRo terminal.

In Japan, our WCA partner agent clears the car through customs, with the consumption tax paid, and delivers it to the inspection specialist or to you. After the modifications and inspection, the owner registers the car with the parking certificate.

Ocean Freight Ground Transport Customs

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to import a car from the USA to Japan?

Freight is only part of it. Japan charges no import duty on cars, but the 10% consumption tax is due at import, registration taxes follow, and inspection and modification costs depend on the car. Add US inland transport, the container or RoRo leg, and delivery in Japan. We quote the freight and clearance door to door, with exclusions listed up front, and you should get an inspection estimate from a Japanese specialist before you ship.

Do American cars need modifications to pass shaken in Japan?

Usually some. The common ones are amber rear turn signals on cars that use red, and headlamps set for left-hand traffic. The car also needs emissions and noise documentation, and some models need other equipment changes. Left-hand drive itself is not a problem.

Did Japan's 2026 change make it easier to import an American car?

For manufacturers, yes: Japan moved to accept US safety certification for US-built passenger cars without extra testing. For a private import it changes little — the car still goes through inspection and registration, usually with lighting changes.

How long does it take to ship a car from the USA to Japan?

From Los Angeles/Long Beach, direct container services typically reach Tokyo or Yokohama in roughly 12–18 days port to port. Add at least 72 hours for the title at CBP before export, the trucking to the port, customs clearance in Japan, and the inspection and registration steps, which take longer than the sailing.

Cars & Pickups is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.