Could Japanese Car Tariffs Be a Good Thing for Kei Truck Importers in the USA?

As of writing this, news of tariffs has jumped up and down and all over the place. There were tariffs called and called off on Canada, and even more questions about Europe and the rest of the world. Trump has spoke about a flat 25% car tariff on imports from Japan.

We are getting a lot of questions from customers about how these potential tariffs might affect kei truck imports to the USA. This blog is meant to provide as much clarification as we can.

Is There Currently a Car Tariff on Imported Vehicles from Japan to the USA?

Yes, all passenger vehicles have a  2.5% tax on importation to the USA from Japan. There is one big exception to this that most of our readers and customers know about, a 25% tax on vehicles classified as a “light truck”. This unfortunately includes kei trucks, but it’s nothing new.

Will the USA’s Car Tariffs Increase the 25% “Chicken Tax”?

Unfortunately, we can’t say for sure if the “chicken tax” on light duty trucks will change in the near future. From analyzing other trade agreements and the latest info coming from the USA, we speculate that they would not increase the tax above 25%. We feel the most likely outcome would be to raise the 2.5% tax on all other vehicle types to match the 25% tax that already exists on light trucks.

Do Tariffs on Japanese Imports Affect Any Other Aspects of the Industry?

Yes, even before car tariff terms are confirmed, Japanese manufacturers have begun to increase production and ship more vehicles to the USA to get them in before such tariffs may apply. We have already heard about Roll-On Roll-Off (RORO) shipping vessels at full capacity for March.

It is true that manufacturers can take priority on RORO ships over used vehicles. So, news of Japanese car tariffs may delay shipping timelines this spring.

Are There Any Positives to Tariffs on Japanese Import Cars for Kei Truck Buyers?

We try to keep on the positives as much as we can. If we get to a flat 25% car tariff on Japanese imports the USA, we assume it would not affect kei trucks (Daihatsu Hijet, Suzuki Carry, Honda Acty, etc.) at all, and stay at the current 25% rate. This may reduce the total vehicle shipments from Japan to the USA, and this gives kei truck buyers less competition in Japan. So if things play out as we expect, it actually might make buying a kei truck a bit cheaper and easier over time.

We’re Always Keeping an Eye on Things

2025 has already been quite a big year for news! We still stay focused on helping you get cool trucks and vans from Japan, and we’ll do our best to keep up on all the latest news. Shoot us a message today if you would like to get more info on how to import your next kei truck or van from Japan!.