Importing a Japanese Mini Kei Truck
This article will serve as a log of the process I used to import a 1990 Daihatsu Hijet from Japan. I largely drew from this blog post here, which was very helpful. I’m going to provide exhaustive, excruciating detail in the hopes it helps others, but I’m no expert, this is just my experience.
Brief Back Story
I fell in love with these trucks when I visited Japan, first on a solo trip around the country, and then later when I apprenticed as a woodworker. They are a blast to drive, small and nimble, and very utilitarian. I always wanted to have one in the States. It was clear that on my property in Maine I’d need some sort of vehicle to run around the property to haul tools and materials and do maintenance work. Many people in America get UTVs or ATVs for this purpose. I think they are way too expensive for what they are, you can easily spend five figures on a vehicle with an open cab, whereas for a fraction of the cost I could get a road legal, heated truck with a dump bed, and the same 4 wheel drive train.
Criteria and Selection
I conducted my search for a kei truck at https://carfromjapan.com/ which has seemed as of this writing to be a reputable and well reviewed sales website. My search criteria and rational are as follows:
Daihatsu Hijet - Personal preference for Toyota who has been heavily involved in the company. There are many alternatives from other makers, equally as good.
4 Wheel Drive - A must have for off roading around the property.
Differential Lock - An optional feature on these trucks the further increases the off road traction, again, a must for mud, snow, off roading.
Dump Bed - Some of these trucks can act as a mini dump truck. I wanted to be able to haul around garden materials, or fire wood, or trash and quickly unload it.
Pre 1998 - For the purposes of registration and importing, 25 year or older vehicles can be exempted from DOT and EPA requirements.
The Truck
I found one that matched all my criteria and a pretty low mileage one for the age. Japan has requirements for annual inspection of used vehicles and from my experience in the country, they are velly well taken care of and rarely abused by farmers or carpenters who own them. Here are the specs:
| Car Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Reference No. | CFJ8615266 |
| Registration Year | 1990 / - |
| Manufacture Year | 1990 |
| Mileage | 56,000 km (Approx. 34,804 miles) |
| Fuel Type | Petrol |
| No. of Doors | 2 |
| Drive Type | 4WD |
| VIN / Chassis No. | S81P-152*** |
| Model Code | M-S81P |
| Model Grade | DUMP 350kg 4WD |
| Transmission | Manual |
| Engine Capacity | 550 cc (0.55 liters) |
| No. of Seats | 2 |
| Steering | Right |
| Dimension | 8.71 m^3 |
| Exterior Color | White |
| Auction Grade | - |
Buying Process
I used the “Buy it Now” option to purchase the truck. I sent the money through paypal. The total price was $3284.00 but with paypal fees it came to a total of $3514.00. Wanna save $50 bucks if you do this the same? Cars From Japan gave me a referral code: CP-38WWZWNP Here is the Price Breakdown:
| Description | Amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| TRUCK | 1,900 |
| INSURANCE | 40 |
| FREIGHT | 1,249 |
| BUYER PROTECTION FEE | 95 |
| PAYPAL FEE | 230 |
Here is the communication and related documents as part of the sale process:
November 21, 2023 - Received email confirmation of payment and purchase.
I was asked for my contact information and if I was hiring a customs broker (no).
This was confirmed.
November 23, 2023 - I received an initial purchase invoice: Redacted Initial Purchase Invoice
November 24, 2023 - I received a second copy of a different invoice: Redacted Invoice
Shipping Process
On December 1, 2023 I got confirmation of the shipping schedule:
Car no.14784 will be loaded to the Vessel ORCHID ACE V.134A on 10th December by NISSAN
The original B/Ls and other documents will be sent to you on 18th December by DHL / UPS
Tracking number will be informed to you on the same date when the documents are released.
The estimated date of arrival to New York port will be on 10th January 2024
On December 5, 2023 I received the shipping order copy: Redacted Shipping Order
On December 6, 2023 I received a copy of the Bill of Lading (BOL) an important document: Redacted BOL
Importing Process
ISF Filing
December 9, 2023 - Well hopefully I don’t screw myself here, I might have come down to the wire for filing the ISF form, which is a form required to be filed with customs prior to the item being loaded on the ship. It should be 24 hours prior.
I used Easyisf.com and uploaded the documents like my passport, invoice, and BOL, and it wasn’t clear if it was instant filing to I re-did everything on turboisf.com. So $55 dollars down the drain, then the other site was $110 dollars which included an ISF bond, which technically isn’t required for shipments with values less than $2500.
I uploaded the same documents, filled out their forms and signed an electronic power of attorney. It appeared it would take up to 6 hours to review. Fortunately later that day the form was processed and I was sent a confirmation document, a redacted version can be viewed here. In the email they noted that the ”Arrival Notice - provided by US freight company on week of arrival” would be required for customs clearance.
Also, thankfully Easyisf.com refunded me my payment after I explained the situation.
Following the Shipment
Ever since I was told which vessel on to which the truck would be loaded I eagerly followed its progress with vesselfinder.com. You can simply google the name of the ship and several websites will come up that monitor its progress. There are paid versions that give you up-to-the-minute tracking, but it’s not really worth it. I watched the ship bounce around coastal Japan, pick up my truck in Kobe, and then head for the Panama Canal. As of January 3, 2024 the ship had left Panama headed for its first stop in the USA:
Receiving Shipping Documents
December 15, 2023 - Cars from Japan informed me that they couldn’t deliver my shipping documents by DHL because my house was too off the beaten path; no worries I just redirected the shipment to my mother-in-law who brought it up for Christmas. Included in the documents was:
Copy of the Bill of Lading
5x Copies of the Invoice
2x Original Stamped Copies of the Bill of Sale
A Copy of the shipping insurance policy
An English copy of the export certificate
A very nice, forgery protected original Japanese export certificate, pictured below:
Notice of Arrival
December 31, 2023 - I received an email from “Norton Lilly International” with my notice of arrival as well a bill for $50 dollars. This is the notice that informs of the inbound port and arrival terminal. Now I know to go to the “FAPS BERTH” at Port Newark, NJ to pick up my truck. A redacted copy of the notice of arrival can be viewed here.
January 3, 2024 - I called the number for the terminal and got a message but it did say Ports America Auto Terminal and that it would be open 8am to 4pm. Then called a different number on the email and spoke with Vickie who said I could only pay by wire or PayCargo.com and that I would need to send them proof of payment and the “cargo release results documents.” It appears I’d need to clear customs and get these release forms, send to Norton Lilly, then they would release the cargo. I had planned on doing all of this the same day, but figured it would be worth calling the CBP office at Port Newark to learn about the process. Of course I was immediately told to call the “problem resolution hotline” 973- 368-6990 and what do you know? The message told me to send them an email to ny-nwkprobres@cbp.dhs.gov At this point I called the local Maine CBP office knowing they would be kind and talkative and the information I got was that all the forms would have to be filed at place of entry. Perhaps acting as my own importer is adding some confusion to this process, but I shall persevere.
I think the long and the short of it is that, normally all of this stuff is handled by customs brokers, for larger fees, through a CBP Ace Portal, which requires applying. While I could apply as an individual importer, and file electronically, this article for formal entry indicates I can just take care of this at the CBP office at the port. A lot of the articles on importing Japanese cars online lack a lot of detail, and are often handled with brokers. I found this reddit post which was similar to my experience, I’ve included a copy below for posterity:
Just wanted to do a quick write up since I just received my Honda Acty. This isn't an all in one guide, just my experience to give you an idea of how much I spent in total and how long it took if you're looking to do this.
I used (this) post and this (site) as a guide.
Ordered a 1995 Honda Acty SDX AWD (no ac) from CFJ on 8/21/23, paid the same day.
Received an export certificate from CFJ on 9/21/23. Car shipped from Japan 9/25/23.
At this point you should have filed your ISF.
I used easyisf.com and they were great, you can google any ISF filer to do this for you.
Next, play the waiting game. Some guides say you need to send your original BOL to the shipper, CFJ did that for me and about a week before i was set to arrive they sent me an email with the arrival notice.
Get your customs paperwork done. I followed the other guides and filled out all the customs paperwork early myself.
My problem is I live nowhere near the port and wanted to file everything early online.
At this point I couldn't get a straight answer as to where to send my documents electronically or by mail. I called customs and was transferred multiple times only to reach dead ends. Going in person wasn't an option so I ended up reaching out to the same people that did my ISF and they were able to file the import documents electronically for an additional 90$
Paid the shipper an additional 50$ by wire transfer (+25$ fee). Received delivery notice and headed to the port. Called the port before and was told to bring a high vis vest and 2 copies of delivery notice. They wont print it for you, bring hard copies. Newark Port is not TWIC but your port may differ.
I rented a U-Haul 6x12 open trailer to bring it home (get the one without the ramp and use your own ramp, it has better clearance)
When it comes to registering the vehicle this is all dependent on your state. I filed my customs paperwork through my broker and they did it electronically. Unfortunately the department of motor vehicles wants a physical stamp to touch that paper and my broker couldn't help me because their work was done.
Once again I spent too much time on the phone with customs to find a closer location to me to get it done.
If going in person is not an option, go to this website, locate your port and shoot them an email. I sent Newark Port my documents and they emailed them back stamped. Now im just waiting on plates!
So here are the tldr dates and numbers:
8/21/23 Ordered / Paid
9/21/23 Recieved digital export certificate/ BOL
9/25/23 Shipped
10/3/23 Recieved physical export certificate/original BOL
11/2/23 Arrived at Newark NJ Port
11/3/23 Available for pickup
Car price: $1,390
Freight: $1519
ISF 10+2 Form filing: $51.50
customs broker / import fees and tax : $619.83
port fees:54.86
shipper wire transfer: 75$
total: 3,710.19Ebay has some great kits to do the necessary first maintenance on these. Get motor mounts while you're at it. Mine were shot once I got under there. Good luck!
So my decisions come down to paying the a fee for an import broker to do all of this or try to manage myself. I found another reddit post with some more details and information about my specific port. Specifically that it might be possible to file the 7501 by email. I called back CBP at Port Newark and this time asked the right question and got a different phone number to call: 201-443-0102 Although here I got the machine again, so I left a message and sent an email to the port asking how I might file my forms ahead of time via email. At this point I decided to just fill out the forms assuming I would handle everything myself, pay Norton Lilly and wait to hear back from CBP.
Pay Norton Lilly
I used PayCargo.com to send $50 to Norton Lilly which came out to $70.38 after fees, which is only a little bit more than a bank wire, but I could keep rolling at my desk and save the drive to the bank. I saved and printed a copy of the receipt and emailed it back to Norton Lilly.
Department of Transportation HS-7 Short Form
This is the form required to exempt the vehicle from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety, Bumper and Theft Prevention Standards. I followed the fillable form example in STEP 4 of this blog article. Some notes:
Port Name and Code are found at CBP Website
On my ISF my Entry No was the same as the BOL Number, so I put that as Customs Entry No in this form.
Entry Date was on the arrival notice.
For Date of Manufacture I was able to look up the chassis number at this website and determine it was made in 12/1989, this checks out as there is a picture of a stamp on the seatbelt that appears to show “91216” which perhaps is to be translated as 1989-12-16. The full data set is reproduced below:
Year of production: 1989
Month of production: 12
Year of the numbering plan: No data
The month on the numbering plan: No data
Model code: S81P-DRK
Model name: No data
Modification: STD
Color of the body: 038
Color of the salon: LAT1
Identification number (VDS): No data
Catalogue number: No data
Engine: EB
Engine's options: No data
Body type: TR
Description of update: No data
Transmission: MTM
Description of transmission: STC
Compatible body: No data
Advanced code: 4F; WGD; 4WD; NTBO; STC; NSD; 12IN; PS1; PF4
Door style: DMP
Description of the body: No data
Spec. equipment: No dataEPA Form 3520
Again, I followed the fillable form on STEP 5 of this blog article. This one has similar information as the above form, the point is that you can use Exemption code E because the truck is over 21 years old. For Storage Contact I put in the terminal information from my Arrival Notice.
Customs and Border Protection Form 7501
This is the big form required for customs clearance and copies of which will be required for registration. Once again, this blog article under STEP 3 has lots of details on filling out the form and a fillable version. The instructions for this form are referenced here. My notes below:
I left field 1. Filer Code/Entry No. as “N/A”
For 8. Importing Carrier I listed the vessel name: “ORCHID ACE”
For 19. Foreign Port of Lading I found the “Schedule K Code” here for Kobe: 58840 - KOBE
For 21. Location of Goods/G.O. No. I put the “FIRMS Code” of F085 found on the Arrival Notice from Norton Lilly
For 27. to 34. these are a little confusing, as the format in the fillable form differs slightly from what seems to be indicated in the instructions. Fortunately this form was for the same kind of vehicle so I could reuse the ruling number. I put in the 25% import tax and calculated my duty.
In Other Fee Summary for Block 39 I calculated my Harbor Maintenance Fee of .125% x the Value of Goods of $1900 to be $2.38
Customs Clearance
January 4, 2024 - I heard back from the CBP asking if I could submit my clearance forms over email to NY-NWKPROBRES@cbp.dhs.gov. They advised me to submit my 7501. Just to be safe I sent them the three forms from above, plus a copy of the BOL, Invoice, and Arrival notice.
January 5, 2024 - I had a most enraging email exchange with the problem resolution, very Kafka-esq:
NY-NWKPROBRES: Submit to this email your CBP Form 7501.
Me: Please find attached signed copies of: CBP 7501 EPA 3520 DOT 799 Short I've also attached copies of: Purchase Invoice Bill of Lading Arrival Notice Thank you for your help and your time.
NY-NWKPROBRES: You must contact a [sic] to contact a broker and file a formal entry to pay for the duties.
Me: Isn't formal entry only required for shipment value over 2500? Can I pay duties on site when I pick up?
NY-NWKPROBRES: All vehicles pay duties. To pay the duties you must go thru a broker, as he/she must file a Formal Entry.
Me: I am aware I have to pay import duties on the shipment. Per: https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-418?language=en_US there is no legal requirement for me to hire a customs broker. Per: https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-215?language=en_US this shipment is eligible for informal entry due to its value. As of September 2022 I was told that 7501 could be filed via email at the nj/ny port office and then the fees paid to the customs office at the port of arrival. Please let me know if/when this information has changed.
NY-NWKPROBRES: You cannot pay the duties to the Customs Officer. The duties must be paid by the broker. Vehicles do not fall under informal entries. Follow the instructions given.
Well this was frustrating, not only because it was a faceless bureaucrat but also and it contradicted information I had gathered from the CBP website! Upon further googling I found more info in this Reddit post:
Apparently there's no such thing as informal entry for vehicles any more (not for us as individuals), according to the CBP email I got back after trying to do so on my last import. You can give it a shot but idk. I used eezyimport.com and they filed it as informal on my behalf which worked just fine, just more fees. But no trip to customs, so that's nice.
Wonderful. Well I didn’t want to push my luck with the faceless NY-NWKPROBRES, and as it is I’m already worried they flagged me just because I was being snarky. At this point I crawled back to EasyISF with my tail between my legs, emailed them all the documents I had thus far, and asked that they clear customs for me.
Easy ISF Customs Broker
January 5, 2024 - I signed a Power of Attorney for Easy ISF after they had received all of my paperwork.
January 10, 2024 - I received copies of the DOT and EPA forms for signature, this time the forms had a Customs Entry No on them. I signed and returned them. And not too long after that I got an invoice for a whopping $747! I had expected a large fee but this was a little more than I thought. The customs duties were a little higher because they were calculated on a slightly higher price (the truck plus the insurance and buyer protection fee). There were also filing fees for all the forms. See the Costs Breakdown below for all the details. I’ve also included a redacted invoice and 7501 form for reference.
Preparing for Pick Up
January 12, 2024 - The ship, which was originally supposed to arrive on January 11, ended up being late and would arrive on the 14th, my broker advised me to call the port and confirm pick up details. I called the office number for the Port Newark Auto Terminal and spoke with customer service, Stacy, who was very helpful. She advised me that I’d need to:
Bring 2 Copies of my Delivery Order
Pay $35 via PayCargo as a terminal fee - which becomes $54.86 through the magic of extra fees from PayCargo (yeah!)
And Call Norton Lilly on Tuesday the 17th at 908-353-8400 to get the final information on clearing and pickup.
I was informed that I’d have till January 22, to pick up the cargo before I was charged $25 a day for storage.
The Wonderful Port of Newark
January 19, 2024 - After blasting down from Maine to the Vince Lombardi truck stop and sleeping in my truck the night prior, I arrived at the port bright and early with all of my paperwork and not a very clear idea of where to go, other than the address given to me by the Norton Lilly final release form. After some confusion and asking other drivers on the CB radio, I found a different entrance to Ports America off of Distribution street:
However after them looking at my paperwork, they send me to a whole different part of the port, to a location on Marsh St (171 Marsh, even though they told me 154 Marsh). Apparently because 3 ships came in late, and at night they stuck all of Orchid Ace’s cars in an export lot, causing much confusion as detailed in the video at the end of this article. I won’t go into that craziness here but here is a map of where I found the car:
I don’t believe my pick up was a typical process, the port agent didn’t really know what was going on and was yelling at everyone. The basic process that I understood was each of use was to find our car, bring it near the office, where an official would make sure it matched the paperwork and give us a receipt. Some key lessons learned at the port:
Bring a high-vis safety vest, I knew this already but forgot one, and so had to buy one at one of the food trucks that littered the port.
Bring cash, glad I had some so I could get a safety vest.
Bring payment copies and receipts, bring all the papers. The port agent didn’t have a record of my port fee (which I had already paid) and I was able to prove it so didn’t have to pay it again.
Arrive with a full tank. Between all the run around and idling, you can burn a lot of gas at the port.
Bring a jump pack or big battery. These cars are basically dead on arrival, even with a borrowed jump pack we couldn’t start the car, and I eventually pushed it about 150 feet. The port office had a “jump guy” that eventually got it going.
Honey is better than vinegar. I attempted to be fairly nice to this frazzled port agent and it seemed to pay off, as I got out of there pretty quickly, all things considered.
After the brief inspection I was given a signed receipt, and loaded up the truck on my trailer and away I went! Just a reminder that Cars From Japan gave me a referral code: CP-38WWZWNP You can get $50 off your order if you use it. You’ll probably save more money by not making some of the mistakes I made.
Costs Breakdown
| Item | Vendor | Reference | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truck Price | Cars from Japan | $1,900.00 | |
| Shipping Insurance (Included) | Cars from Japan | $40.00 | |
| Frieght (Included ) | Cars from Japan | $1,249.00 | |
| Buyer Protection Fee (Included) | Cars from Japan | $95.00 | |
| Payment Fee | PayPal | Cars from Japan | $230.00 |
| ISF Filing | Turbo ISF | $110.00 | |
| Norton Lilly Arrival Fee | PayCargo.com | $70.38 | |
| Customs Entry Fee | EasyISF (Mendiola Customs Brokerage) | $90.00 | |
| Customs Duty | EasyISF (Mendiola Customs Brokerage) | $542.96 | |
| Single Entry Bond | EasyISF (Mendiola Customs Brokerage) | $55.00 | |
| NHTSA HS-7 | EasyISF (Mendiola Customs Brokerage) | $30.00 | |
| EPA 3520-1 | EasyISF (Mendiola Customs Brokerage) | $30.00 | |
| Payment Fee | PayPal | EasyISF (Mendiola Customs Brokerage) | $22.44 |
| Terminal Fee | PayCargo.com | Ports America | $54.86 |
| Total | $4,519.64 |