Importing A Kei Car or Truck From Japan Helpful Hints and Tips of My Experience For My Honda ACTY

What's up guys. If you plan on importing a JDM vehicle, check this out! It may be helpful, or not and I just wasted your time and mine... I did forget to mention! 25% duty fees on a cargo vehicles. So for example, vans with back seats but no seatbelts = 25% duty fee. Trucks = 25% duty fee :(
Links below if you guys need any parts! Thanks!
Oh Kei Garage Parts Store - ohkeigarage.com/
eBay Parts Store - www.ebay.com/str/blackdiemond...
#KS4 #KS3 #subaru #sambar #subarusambar

[@crujones4046]

Your good with the vw kit just can’t have any vw emblems anywhere on it at all or it will get seized counterfeit trademark.

[@OhKeiGarage]

Very good to know! Hopefully others will see that!

[@drain_001]

I used Sodo Moto in Seattle, super glad I did. Adam really knows what he's doing.

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

He is right now in Japan 🇯🇵

[@dbcooper7477]

If anyone is watching this and lives in Indiana, I did not have the back of my export cert translated. Indiana BMV had no issue with it. I did have a translated paper for the front of the cert. Just FYI

[@OhKeiGarage]

Hey! Yes, i found out after that it seems to be a Washington thing, not other states, so thank you for chiming in and telling others! i appreciate it!!

[@LeanedBackLotto]

Saved me a Google search. Thank you lol

[@swashfrogsailor]

About six years ago, I hired a third-person outfit in Australia to perform what amounts to a carfax in the States. It was pretty helpful, inexpensive, and reassuring, plus, I’ll be able to include the documentation when I finally decide to sell to the next owner. I purchased my high trim, low km Starwagon with the assistance of a Vancouver BC importer, and then flew in where he picked me up in my van, titled and insured it for a single day in BC, and the following day, crossed the border at Blaine. It was all a lot easier than I expected. However, I’m now contemplating a Sambar and wondering how much of the legwork I’m willing to perform. Thanks for a great video. Very helpful!

[@OhKeiGarage]

awesome! quite the story lol

[@bradleewebster3390]

Thank you so much, super helpful and informative.

[@OhKeiGarage]

Good deal! Glad it was helpful!!

[@johauson]

Be prepared for a turd. If it's not a turd then you are super stoked. Great advice. I'm getting my shit all sorted and got a broker because everyone has their hand in the cookie jar and its likely something will go wrong if I try to do everything myself. Thanks for this video dude. Very helpful.

[@OhKeiGarage]

Lolol I was keeping it G rated with “turd”. Honestly the broker way was the easy way. They give you all the docs to fill out and they’ve done it before so it will be a slam dunk. It can be done without one, but just my luck, I’d fill out docs to import livestock and end up losing my kei vans 😂 Glad it was helpful tho!! Hope it all goes smoothly for you!

[@Dede-dw4oj]

Try cars rom japan they do everything for you

[@Tannerxcsoaring]

Gwen sent me info today for customs, glad that worked for you. I just found the closest Customs company near tacoma ports, sure enough, it was Sound Brokerage.

[@OhKeiGarage]

Make sure to mention Kevin James and Scott Fusco sent you 🤙🏻

[@nealgold8442]

Great video and very informative

[@OhKeiGarage]

Glad it helped!

[@martykauffman]

Thanks for the info man

[@jabraymer]

Found it! Thanks again for all your help.

[@OhKeiGarage]

glad you found it! now lets just hope its helpful ha

[@OhKeiLife]

Just reached out to Gwen at sound brokerage and working on getting my TWIC card lol my buddy is importing too so will pay for its self 😅 super excited for the turd! 💩 but it won’t be to much of a turd just enough.

[@OhKeiGarage]

right on man! Gwen is the best. best of luck to you and the potential turd LOL

[@Wearephuct-O]

Thanks again muhDude!

[@Goingpostal1000]

I’m so excited for your bravo to arrive. I want to see what you do with it.

[@OhKeiGarage]

that makes 2 of us! hopefully will be arriving next month :)

[@ITS-ZACH]

Thanks for this vid you've inspired me to try importing another truck. Maybe we can do a vid together someday also I honked at you on hwy 162 when you were driving your acty!

[@OhKeiGarage]

ya i saw you that one day! i was getting the non e gas at Safeway lol. colab soon lol

[@ITS-ZACH]

@@OhKeiGarage I get my egas there too! but it’s been crazy expensive like 6.79? so I been getting it at muckleshoot! it’s 5.09 but it’s only 87 octane.

[@OhKeiGarage]

@@ITS-ZACH ya total rip off but it's a lot closer to me. the drive to muckleshoot would waste a 1/4 tank just to get there lol. Plus I like the 92 :) But still, total rip....

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

Also for key van and any truck 25% entry tax from price

[@Heisenberg-Rules]

Thanks to the chicken tax!

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

I subscribed to your KZbin channel 😊

[@OhKeiGarage]

I sub’d back!

[@newemotionfm]

Hey man, this was super helpful. I'm also in WA, would you mind letting me know what Broker you went with?

[@OhKeiGarage]

gwen at sound brokerage

[@andyedwards9595]

Where did you get the back of the import certificate translated?

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

You can use TWIC card in airport 😍

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

MKT 🎉

[@jamesmichael7311]

Thank you for this very helpful information. Would you know if there are companies that can pickup and delivery your vheicle from the port to you without you having to be present at the port.

[@OhKeiGarage]

as long as you tell the broker that it will be someone else picking it up, the port will release it to the person it is designated to

[@brianshylo6270]

What shipping line was used to ship to the Port of Tacoma? How many days did they give you to pick it up before they would impose storage fees?

[@OhKeiGarage]

not sure on the shipping line because a few come into Tacoma, depends on the exporter over there and what they can use at the moment since some get super busy and backed up

[@SpecialKeiz]

The back side translation is an "Our state" kind of thing it may not be needed everywhere.

[@ssphinny]

couple things 1 do you need to live in washington for sound brokage to work with you? 2 do you only need to talk to mkt, a broker, and a guy with a twik?

[@OhKeiGarage]

you do not need to live in WA to use sound brokerage, they are statewide i think, they're just located in WA here. and yes, MKT for a car, broker to get the car through customs, and a guy with TWIC to get it off the port. then the tow is up to you :)

[@ssphinny]

@@OhKeiGarage thank youuuu sooooo muchhhh 👍❤️

[@playforlife6669]

I just bought a daihatsu hijet and it has a speed limmiter on it won't go above 25 mph how do I remove it

[@OhKeiGarage]

not 100% sure but I think you have to ground one of the wires or give it power. I'm sure there are some videos on KZbin or write ups on facebook groups since that is common.

[@timotaneous3300]

How much was the broker? Great advice within video.

[@OhKeiGarage]

depends, but first time you pay a fee, second time that fee goes away, but guessing around $600? i forget. there was a lot happening lol

[@braedenreed4052]

Man I would have freaked if I had to wait 3 months or a year for shipping. I think I waited a total of 28 days for mine.

[@OhKeiGarage]

You’re one of the lucky ones then!!

[@crujones4046]

When mine showed up at the port it had a Volkswagen emblem that the sellers edited out of all the sales pictures. So long story short mine took almost a year and a half to get. So could you imagine your wife nagging you for almost a year and a half about that, good grief.

[@WHJeffB]

@@crujones4046 VW makes Kei trucks? Or did I miss something?

[@eltanguero60]

@@OhKeiGarage which auto transport carrier/ship was used to get your truck from Japan to the Port of Tacoma?

[@swansonator1996]

How did you get the title and registration all set up in WA I’m bringing my Subaru Sambar brought back from Japan 🇯🇵 with me and will be registering it in WA

[@OhKeiGarage]

just a local licensing place. Im from cali, so we called them the DMV but washington calls it different, so wherever you go to get your car registered is where i went.

[@nosebot]

I _just_ did this about a week ago. I think any DOL place can set you up, but the one in Fife does a lot of them. The DOL in Fife is right by the Customs office that clears your vehicle for import after you get it from the port of Tacoma. Since I used a customs broker, they made sure I had all my paperwork to give to the DOL (original Japanese title, plus the English translation, and the customs form). The fine folks of the Fife DOL took care of the rest and it was very easy to get my truck titled and registered.

[@renelatigo6371]

Hello...i have watched your video and man, i did not know it was that complicated to import a vehicle. Can you tell me more or less what the approximate total cost with all the fees, that is shipping, broker fees, tags, title, etc..if the car cost me is cost $6500.00, Great Video! thank you for your help in advance!

[@nunyabusiness896]

A good budgetary number including exporter fees, shipping, importer fees (broker), duty, tax, registration fees, etc. is about $5000 not including any on-shore towing or hotels/meals/etc. when you drive to the port. I've heard a good rule of thumb for land-based towing/shipping (i.e. from the port to your city) is about $300+$1/mile. Overall cost can go higher or lower by a couple of grand depending on state, if it's your second/third/fourth car as exporters and importers tend to give discounts to repeat customers since you know the process and they know they'll spend less time on the phone with you and/or sending you e-mails. This is why, IMO, buy the best vehicle you can in Japan with either very up to date maintenance or negotiate with the exporter for a Japanese mechanic to do any needed maintenance (for added cost, of course). Importing parts, especially big ones, gets expensive quick and expertise is hard to find stateside for cars/engines never sold here, so better to just start off with one in mint condition and it should be fine for 10 years on pretty much oil changes easily if you aren't running tens of thousands of miles on it a year. Long story short, the couple grand between a ratty car and a mint one is well worth it when you're about to add $5k just to get it here and registered, maybe more if you're inland and have to ship it to your city.

[@markgardner7962]

Is Scott willing to do towing service? I bought a Sambar van and will need transport to Maple Valley from Tacoma.

[@OhKeiGarage]

I will ask him!

[@OhKeiGarage]

[e-mail] Send Scott an email with the details to see if he can help out 🤙🏻

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

Also agriculture penalty up to 1000$ some time 😢

[@OhKeiGarage]

ouch :(

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

If they can find some dirt in yours cars 🚗

[@SpecialKeiz]

@@jdmcarandmotorcycle I have a story for you. I will tell you next visit when I come to see the supercharged van.

[@lilymotion7603]

I bought a truck a few weeks ago and hired a Customs broker for the import paperwork. Who needs to file the ISF 10+2?

[@OhKeiGarage]

im pretty sure the broker does that, or mine did it for me anyways

[@codyhaskill7764]

could u do a video on how to fix heating on the sambar van?

[@OhKeiGarage]

so the thing with sambars, is the heat only comes out the defrosters, not the vents, that what you referring to?

[@codyhaskill7764]

@@OhKeiGarage ahh okay didn’t know this! thank you

[@OhKeiGarage]

@@codyhaskill7764 you’ll learn something new everyday with these things!

[@justinfisher8749]

What’s the worst port in the us to ship to I’m in Arizona so Texas and California are close

[@OhKeiGarage]

I've heard that the cali port is a good one. little less strict there

[@odysseusprime9285]

clinodactyly pinky gang

[@OhKeiGarage]

LOL hell ya

[@swansonator1996]

What percent did you have to pay to import 2.5% or 25% for the truck

[@OhKeiGarage]

25% on trucks and vans with out back seat belts

[@robertguy1539]

is this 25% based on just the purchase price or the shipping cost as well?@@OhKeiGarage

[@OhMostBobulousOne]

When you're dancing with your honey, and your nose is kind of runny, your friends might think it's funny, but it's not (snot). Dude, blow your nose!

[@OhKeiGarage]

😂😂 I tried. It was snot working tho

[@vinodyadao]

hi sir would you please provide me parts manual of kei truck i hijet

[@OhKeiGarage]

whats the VIN?

[@williamwebster2211]

i was told oregon won't register at all,

[@OhKeiGarage]

Ya Oregon is weird. I’ve seen some guys get registered and others not. I think it’s a game with them… so like I said, you can register it out of state but I don’t know the how tos and rules with that :/

[@crujones4046]

Portland is weird.