Japan import cost calculator
With the defaults, a ¥2.5 million car lands at about 1.5 times its auction price: about $23,100 in the US or £18,900 in the UK once Japan fees, shipping, duty, tariffs, tax and paperwork are added. The two lines that swing the most are the US additional tariff and the UK duty preference, so check both for your car.
Estimated landed cost
Fix the highlighted box to update the results. The price must be above zero and no box can be empty.
| Cost | How it's worked out | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Total | – |
US paperwork: file EPA form 3520-1 and DOT form HS-7 at entry (CBP). A car at least 25 years old can come in without meeting US safety standards, entered under box 1 of the HS-7 (NHTSA). EPA's code E covers cars at least 21 years old in original, unmodified form (EPA 3520-1).
UK paperwork: tell HMRC within 14 days with a NOVA notification, pay VAT and duty, get approval or an MOT, then register with DVLA (GOV.UK).
How to use the Japan import cost calculator
Pick the US or the UK, then type the auction price in yen. Everything else has a default you can change: the exchange rate, Japan-side fees, shipping, insurance, duty, tariffs, tax and paperwork fees. The source and date for each default sit under its box.
The year built matters more than you'd think. It decides whether the US tariff line uses the 25-year rule and whether a UK car needs an IVA test or just an MOT. Change it and those boxes reset to match. You can still overwrite them.
Get real quotes before you bid. Shipping and agent fees move with the route, the port and the size of the car.
How the math works
The two countries tax different things. US duty is charged on the price paid, not on international shipping or insurance (19 U.S.C. 1401a). UK duty is charged on the price plus transport and insurance up to the UK border (GOV.UK). UK VAT then goes on top of all of that, duty included (GOV.UK).
On the US side the calculator adds the Japan-side fees to the dutiable value. That may overstate the duty a little, so ask your broker which fees count.
UK: duty = rate × (car + Japan fees + shipping + insurance)
UK: VAT = 20% × (that value + duty)
Here's the default, a 2001 car bought for ¥2,500,000 with ¥150,000 of Japan-side fees.
| Cost | US | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Car at ECB rate | $15,810.78 | £11,935.45 |
| Japan-side fees | $948.65 | £716.13 |
| Shipping and 1.5% insurance | $3,237.16 | £1,579.03 |
| Duty | $418.99 (2.5%) | £1,423.06 (10%) |
| Additional tariff | $1,675.94 (10%) | none |
| VAT | none | £3,130.73 |
| Customs fees | $979.00 (MPF, HMF, broker, bond) | £109.85 (MOT, DVLA) |
| Total | $23,070.52 | £18,894.26 |
On the US side the merchandise processing fee is 0.3464% of $16,759.42, or $58.05. That's inside the $34.58 minimum and $670.86 maximum (CBP Dec. 26-14).
What the tariff and duty lines mean
The US base duty is 2.5% for cars and 25% for trucks, new or used (CBP). On top of that sits a tariff that depends on age.
Cars under 25 years old fall under the Section 232 auto tariff. For Japanese cars the total is capped at 15% including the 2.5% base, so the extra line is 12.5% (Federal Register, Sept 2025). CBP says used cars are covered, except those built in a year at least 25 years before the year of entry (CBP).
For 25-year-old cars, the default is 10%. Since 24 July 2026, USTR's Section 301 action sets Japanese goods at 12.5% including the base rate (Federal Register, July 2026). USTR's June proposal exempted goods already subject to Section 232. We couldn't confirm from the final notice whether a car too old for Section 232 pays the Section 301 rate, so the calculator assumes it does. Ask your customs broker, and set the box to 0 if it doesn't apply.
Trucks already pay 25% base duty, which is above both caps. Their extra line defaults to 0.
In the UK the standard duty on cars is 10%. A car built in Japan can come in at 0% under the UK–Japan trade deal if you claim the preference and can show it originates there. That proof comes from the exporter or from your own records (GOV.UK). Exporters don't agree on how easy that is for used cars. Nobuko says an export certificate does the job; Car Import Calculator says used imports rarely carry a statement on origin. So the default is 10%, and the tick box drops it to 0.
Cars over 30 years old in original condition can count as collectors' items, with no duty and 5% VAT (Hawsons).
What this calculator can't tell you
It can't tell you whether the car is legal to import. In the US that usually means 25 years old or older (NHTSA). See our guides to the 25-year import rule and which JDM cars are legal in 2026. UK buyers should read importing a car from Japan to the UK.
It also leaves out state sales tax, title and registration in the US, insurance, and any work needed to pass an inspection. Tariff rules have changed several times since 2025, so check the date on each default.
Sources are linked in the text. Main references: CBP, Federal Register, GOV.UK and WC Shipping.