Kei Truck Import Cost Calculator: Estimate Your Landed Cost from Japan

What does it cost to import a Kei truck from Japan?

Landed cost is built from several separate components. Each is labeled below by how the calculator treats it — some are calculated, some are planning estimates, some you enter directly, and several are variable market costs that change by vehicle, exporter, and route.

1. 1
   Vehicle purchase priceUser-entered

   The auction or dealer price in Japan — one line in the total, not the total.

2. 2
   Japan inland transportationVariable

   Moving the vehicle to the export port within Japan.

3. 3
   Export & auction feesVariable

   Auction, deregistration, and export documentation handling.

4. 4
   Ocean freightVariable

   Shipping from Japan to a U.S. port (RoRo or container).

5. 5
   Marine insuranceCalculated

   Optional coverage in transit, typically a percentage of vehicle value.

6. 6
   U.S. customs duty / tariffEstimated

   Depends on the vehicle's classification under the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule — not a flat rate for every vehicle.

7. 7
   Port & terminal chargesVariable

   Unloading, terminal handling, and related port fees at arrival.

8. 8
   Customs broker feesVariable

   A licensed broker who clears the vehicle through customs, where used.

9. 9
   U.S. domestic transportationVariable

   Trucking the vehicle from the arrival port to you.

10. 10
    State title, registration & taxVariable

    Titling, registration, and taxes — these vary widely by state.

What does “landed cost” mean?

Landed cost is the total amount it takes to get a vehicle from its source in Japan to your door in the United States — the purchase price plus every cost added along the way: inland transport in Japan, export handling, ocean freight, insurance, U.S. customs duty, port and broker fees, U.S. domestic transport, and state title, registration, and tax. In short: the real, all-in number, not just the sticker price.

Example Kei truck import cost

The calculator above is a fully interactive, worked example. It loads with an illustrative scenario — a typical mid-range vehicle price plus placeholder Japan-side, shipping, import, and domestic costs — and the estimated landed cost is simply the sum of those assumptions. Change any input to model your own situation; the total updates instantly.

The default figures are illustrative placeholders for planning only. They do not represent current market pricing, a quote, or an offer.

Estimate import cost by Kei truck model

Landed cost works the same way across models, but each model's verified guide covers its generations, drivetrain, and import considerations. Start with your model, then bring the numbers back here.

The 25-year rule and Kei truck imports

Under the federal 25-year rule, a vehicle is generally exempt from Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) import requirements once it is at least 25 years old, based on its actual manufacture date — not its model year. This is what makes most Kei trucks importable.

Federal import eligibility is not the same as state title, registration, and road-use eligibility. A truck can be fully importable under federal rules and still face restrictions on titling or public-road use in a given state. Treat those as two separate questions.