🇯🇵How to import into Japan

These sectors carry their own import requirement in Japan. For each, a legitimate importer holds the document named below, issued by the named regulator. Ask for it, then verify it at the source.

• meatImport permit required

  sanitary/veterinary import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

  Importer must present an official health certificate from the exporting nation to the Animal Quarantine Service of MAFF.

  Official source
• medical devicesRegistration required

  product registration from the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA).

  Importer must secure product marketing approval or certification through PMDA review prior to commercial entry.

  Official source
• pharmaceuticalsImport permit required

  import licence from the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare (MHLW).

  Importer must hold a Marketing Business License and obtain an approved Yunyu Kakuninsho (Import Confirmation) from MHLW.

  Official source
• telecom/radio equipmentImport permit required

  conformity certificate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC).

  Importer must ensure the equipment undergoes technical conformity certification and bears the Giteki mark under MIC regulations.

  Official source

This is a factual pointer to public rules, not legal advice, and the list is not exhaustive.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to import into Japan?

It depends on the product. General goods clear Japan customs without a sector licence, but regulated sectors (meat, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, telecom/radio equipment) require a specific permit, registration or licence from the regulator named on this page.

How do I check an importer in Japan is allowed to bring in my product?

Ask the buyer for the import permit or product-registration number for the sector, then confirm it with the named regulator. A genuine importer of regulated goods already holds one; a buyer who cannot produce it may not clear customs.

Is importing a specific product into Japan ever banned?

Most sectors are permitted with the right licence or registration. Always confirm the current rule with the named regulator before shipping.

What do I need to clear customs in Japan?

A business importing into Japan needs a Importer registration (or an Attorney for Customs Procedures). A foreign seller without a Japanese entity must appoint an Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP) to act as importer of record. A normal commercial shipment also travels with: commercial invoice, packing list, transport document (cmr, bill of lading or air waybill), customs declaration, filed by you or your broker, proof of origin, when claiming a preferential duty rate.

How much tax do I pay importing into Japan?

Standard JCT in Japan is 10%, charged on the goods plus freight plus duty. Customs duty depends on the product's HS code, so there is no single rate: look yours up in Japan Customs tariff schedule, then add both to the goods and freight to get the landed cost.

Which Incoterms will a small supplier agree to?

Usually EXW or FCA. Small and artisan producers normally sell EXW (you collect at their workshop) or FCA (they hand the goods to your carrier). Expect to arrange freight, insurance and customs clearance yourself, or through a forwarder. DAP and DDP shift carriage and import formalities onto the seller, and a small maker will usually decline them: under DDP the seller must even be able to pay import taxes in your country. Larger exporters more often quote FOB or CIF for sea freight.

Japan suppliers by sector

Manufacturers and wholesalers based in Japan, with the open-record facts we hold on each and a link to the free public source behind them.