Import cost calculator

Total landed cost for a JDM passenger car typically runs 15% to 55% above the vehicle's FOB Japan purchase price, depending on destination country and vehicle value. Import duty is the largest variable: 0% in New Zealand (NZFTA), 2.5% on US passenger cars 25+ years old (HTSUS 8703 with Section 232 exemption HTS 9903.94.04), 5% in Australia, 6.1% in Canada, 6.5% in the United Kingdom, an effective 10% in Mexico (Japan-origin vehicles do not qualify for USMCA preferential rate), and 25% on US kei trucks and light-cargo vans (HTSUS 8704, the long-standing “chicken tax”). GST or VAT stacks on top of CIF + duty in every destination except the US, where state sales tax is collected separately at registration. Shipping from Japanese ports (Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya) ranges roughly $1,200 to $5,000 USD depending on destination and the RoRo-vs-container choice. Use the calculator above for an itemized estimate from your specific purchase price; figures are planning-level and a licensed customs broker should confirm tariff classification and current rates before you transact.

The calculator produces planning-level estimates. Import duty rates are sourced from government customs tariff schedules as of 2026-05-12. Shipping and broker costs are midpoint estimates from industry ranges and will vary by carrier, port, and broker. Use the output as a starting point; verify with a licensed customs broker before purchasing.

The 25-year exemption (49 CFR 571.7 and 49 CFR Part 591 for the FMVSS/CBP side; 40 CFR §85.1511 for the EPA emissions side) applies to vehicles that were manufactured 25 or more years before the date of import, exempting them from FMVSS and EPA emissions standards. Vehicles under 25 years require formal DOT/EPA conformance, which is expensive and rarely feasible for private imports. The exemption covers safety and emissions compliance only — it does not reduce import duty.

Kei trucks and kei cargo vans are classified as light trucks under US tariff schedule heading 8704, which carries a 25% import duty — the long-standing “chicken tax” in place since 1964. Kei passenger cars and kei vans in passenger configuration fall under heading 8703 at the 2.5% car rate, the same as any other JDM passenger car. The 25-year rule does not reduce this duty. Select “Kei truck / cargo van” as the vehicle type to apply the 25% rate.

Not necessarily. Clearing US federal customs does not guarantee on-road registration — that is decided by each state. As of 2026, several states do not register kei vehicles for general road use, others restrict them to lower-speed roads or off-road/farm use, and several have recently passed laws allowing them. The rules are changing quickly. Confirm your state's current kei vehicle policy with your DMV before purchasing. Kei vehicles are not approved for interstate-highway use in any state.

Yes. A 25% Section 232 tariff on imported vehicles took effect in April 2025, and a US–Japan trade agreement set a 15% rate on Japanese vehicles in September 2025. Vehicles manufactured 25 or more years before the year of import are documented as exempt from the Section 232 tariff (HTS 9903.94.04), so this calculator applies the 2.5% base passenger-car rate for eligible classic imports. The effective rate for newer vehicles is higher, and additional surcharge rules have been subject to ongoing legal challenge. Verify the applicable tariff codes with a licensed customs broker before importing.

Vehicles 15 or more years old at the time of import are exempt from Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) under Transport Canada's Vehicle Importation Program. This makes many 2010 and older JDM vehicles eligible for straightforward import without full compliance modification.

New Zealand applies a 0% import tariff on passenger vehicles from Japan under the NZ–Japan Free Trade Agreement (NZFTA), confirmed via NZ Customs. GST of 15% still applies on the customs value (CIF).

Registration and licensing fees (vary by state/province/territory), vehicle inspection fees, compliance modification costs (e.g. headlight conversion, bumper modifications for UK IVA), auction fees if purchasing at Japanese auction (typically 3–5%), and currency exchange risk on JPY-denominated prices.