Japanese used vehicle exporting

Supply of used cars

In Japan, used cars are mainly sold at auto auctions by car owners and dealers. At auto auctions, owners are hidden from bidders while the auctioneers provide independent car evaluations called inspection sheets.^[2] Exporters, acting as bidding agents for importers, use the auto auctions as their main supply. There are over 200 auto auction groups operating throughout Japan including JAA, JU Group, TAA, USS, and ZIP.^[3]

Besides auto auctions, Japanese exports have access to vehicles from dealerships and private sellers.

Exporting methods

Vehicles which will be exported from Japan must be prepared before shipping. This includes de-registering the vehicle with the government, getting an export certificate, and cleaning the car to remove biosecurity risks. Car cleaning is especially necessary for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)^[4] and New Zealand's Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI)^[5] agencies' clearances.

Exporters can ship the car that is ready by ro-ro or container according to customer specification, ship schedules, and the capabilities of the destination port.

Market differences

The suitability of Japan's domestically sold cars for export to other countries is constrained by various factors. Vehicles in Japan have right-hand drive—the driver's seat is on the right side of the vehicle—in accord with Japan's left-hand traffic. Some countries with right-hand traffic permit right-hand drive vehicles, though right-traffic headlamps are generally unavailable for models exclusive to Japan.^[6] Some countries with right traffic do not allow right-hand drive cars, but in some such markets the extensive labor required to convert a car to left-hand drive is economically feasible; such conversions are sometimes done by the local importers. The Philippines is an example of a market where such conversion is common, until recently, when the importation of such used vehicles (except for heavy vehicles) was banned by E0 156.^[7] Japan's automobile safety regulations also differ substantially from the ECE Regulations used throughout most of the world and the U.S. North American regulations that apply in the United States and Canada.^[8] Vehicle components such as windows and windshields, seat belts, lamps and reflectors, and mirrors, as well as design features for crashworthiness such as bumpers, fuel tanks, and structural rigidity of vehicles meant for the Japanese market may not comply with non-Japanese standards.^[9][10][11] They often lack structural reinforcements needed to meet side-impact crashworthiness standards in effect outside Japan.^[10] Moreover, entire categories of vehicle, such as Kei cars, do not exist in regulations outside Japan.^[12][13]

Responsibilities

Generally, most exporters are responsible for the organization and completion of the vehicle's transportation until it arrives at the importer's Port of Destination (POD). At the POD, possession of the vehicle, and the responsibility of possession, is laid on the importer. Financial responsibility, on the other hand, is transferred when ownership is handed over. Ownership is switched after the car has been purchased and before being exported. In the case of damage or losses occurring during shipping, the buyer is the one bears all financial loss.

Car export companies verification

Whilst the vast majority of websites in Japan are of genuine business companies, but it is also a fact that online scams and fraud remain big business in Japan. It is up to foreign importers to verify each company and to transfer money only when transactions are satisfactorily completed. Verification of Japanese companies under the Japan Company Trust Organization can also be helpful.

Canada

Any vehicle more than 15 years old may be imported to Canada without regard to its compliance with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. However, vehicles are registered at the provincial level in Canada, and increasingly stringent sub-national vehicle safety requirements make it difficult to register a Japanese-market vehicle without replacement or modifications to the headlamps and other lights and reflectors, the window glass, the tires, the seatbelts, and other equipment.

Chile

In Chile, second hand imported vehicles may only be registered in the extreme regions of Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá, Aisén and Magallanes. Japanese used vehicles must meet emission standards and be converted to left hand drive. However, a big market of non converted cars exists in the duty-free zone of Iquique, where customers from other countries buy them and sometimes drive them home.

Hong Kong

2002 Toyota bB, Japan Domestic version, exported and registered in Hong Kong.

There are quite a lot of used cars from Japan registered in Hong Kong, including both Japanese makes and even European makes, since both Hong Kong and Japan are right hand drive. In order to register the car in Hong Kong, the car must be less than 7 years old, gasoline powered, meets Euro V emission and noise standard, with E-mark for all glass and safety belts, and unleaded-fuel restrictor installed. For cars over 20 years old, they can be imported as classic cars and need not meet Euro V emission standard. In addition, Hong Kong does not accept privacy windows. If a Japanese used car is fitted with privacy windows, it must be converted to clear glass in order to register in Hong Kong.

Ireland

Toyota WiLL in Dublin

Ireland has relatively loose vehicle importing laws for Japanese cars. To keep imports down, Irish Revenue Commissioners require all new and imported cars to pay the VRT. Also, every car, both domestic and imported over four years old must pass the stringent National Car Test (NCT) in order to be given a road worthiness certificate. In the case of cars imported from Japan, all glass, tyres, noise, must meet EU approved levels.

Kenya

In Kenya, second-hand imported Japanese vehicles must undergo a worthiness inspection conducted by the Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Center as per mandate from the Kenya Bureau of Standards. The inspection aims to ensure that the vehicles are not more than 8 years old, are right hand drive, have genuine mileage and that the vehicles pass a safety & mechanical inspection similar to the Japanese periodic inspection.^[14]

Macau

Although Macau is right hand drive, it does not allow imports of used car from Japan or any other country, unlike Hong Kong. However, brand new parallel imported cars from Japan are allowed in Macau.

Malta

Toyota ist, registered in Malta

In Malta, second-hand imported Japanese vehicles must comply with Road Worthiness regulations which take care of Emissions, Lights Operability & Mechanical Operability.. Other than that such vehicles can be imported and registered without any problems. Some Maltese importers also apply corrosion protection to these vehicles due to high humidity and heat levels imposed via the weather.

New Zealand

Nissan March Bolero, imported to New Zealand

New Zealand has stringent safety and emission standards. Besides biosecurity and customs clearances, a vehicle must be Entry Certified by a Transport Services Delivery Agent (TSDA) which includes checking that paper data and physical data meet safety, emissions, and fuel consumption standards.^[15]

Pakistan

Pakistan also applies strict control on imports. In order to import a car, it must be not more than 3 years old. Extremely high importation taxes are levied on imported vehicles.^[16] Special ships are sometimes used for exporting vehicles to Pakistan to meet the rising demand.^[17]

Russia

While Russia has right hand traffic, it allows the importation of LHT vehicles, providing that they pass the technical inspection test which is compulsory for all street-legal vehicles in Russia. Although a prohibitively high import tariff is levied on the cars more than 7 years old, to protect the local industry, even the oldest Japanese vehicles usually pass the inspection, if they were originally well maintained, and are registered without any problems. Vehicles imported to Russia are sometimes exported to North Korea and Central Asia.

United Kingdom

Importing rules for the UK are stringent; all vehicles must undergo Individual Vehicle Approval to assure compliance with applicable ECE Regulations or British national equivalents. The speedometer must be converted from kilometres per hour to miles per hour, a rear fog light and unleaded-fuel restrictor installed.

The above only applies to cars of an age below ten years at the time of import to the UK. Older vehicles than this require a rear fog lamp in order to pass MOT, but that only has to be installed to MOT regulations, not to the standard set out for newer cars under the IVA rules, so as long as the fog lamp(s) is/are fitted with a telltale, which may take the form of a lamp within the switch or a simple marker that becomes visible when the toggle is in its switch closed position (fog lamp in use). Unlike newer JDM imports, the lamp as fitted to ten yr + cars doesn't have to be wired through the dipped beam or marker circuit, it simply has to be present and to work in line with the rules regarding the telltale.

Speedometers and odometers may show KM/H and even with no additional markings to show MPH, are perfectly legal for UK use, it soon becomes second nature to learn one's 0.6217 times table and although cars such as my own Toyota bBs can easily have a scan of the US market Scion xB (the American version of the first gen bB) speedo pasted over the one the car came with, it's not essential. Speedo converter ICs, often sold on eBay at over £50 by people who buy the actual chips themselves for around £11 for a pack of two in Maplin's, are a bad idea as they tend to alter the gearchange points of the electronic "learning" gearboxes found in so many JDM cars. MOT stations are able to write the distance covered as shown on the odometer in KM and this is perfectly legal under the new test rules that were rolled out on the 20th of May this year (2018).

The only other requirement for testing and registering a JDM import in the UK is that any pre-2004, Japanese market alarm & immobiliser system must be removed before the car can be deregistered prior to its move to the UK, this sometimes slips through the proverbial net but as the connection points on the JDM vehicle's loom are suitable for a Thatcham approved (UK legal) security system, it's just a case of budgeting for a decent Toad system or similar when buying from the Japanese supplier.

United States

Vehicles at least 25 years old may be imported to the U.S. regardless of non-compliance with that country's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.^[18] However, vehicles are registered at the state level in the U.S., and increasingly stringent sub-national vehicle safety requirements make it difficult to register a Japanese-market vehicle without replacement or modifications to the headlamps and other lights and reflectors, the window glass, the tires, the seatbelts, and other equipment.