April 2025 Used-Car Export Snapshot: U.S. & Fiji Go on a Buying Spree, Myanmar & Jamaica Slam on the Brakes

🌟 April 2025 Export Performance at a Glance

A month-on-month comparison of Japan’s used-car exports in April 2025 shows:

Country	MoM Change
United States	+57.1 %
Fiji	+46.4 %
Myanmar	-90.5 %
Jamaica	-51.7 %

Four structural forces explain the sharp divergences:

1. Last-minute shipments ahead of a 25 % U.S. tariff

2. Post-pandemic tourism rebound & green-tax cuts (Fiji)

3. Left-hand-drive mandate & border disruption (Myanmar)

4. PSI pre-shipment inspection + currency weakness (Jamaica)

Below we unpack each driver using local media and government sources.

🎨 Winners & Laggards—Key Drivers, Local Insights

🏆 Market Winners in the Japan Used-Car Export April 2025 Race: U.S. & Fiji Surge Ahead

• United States: +57.1 %

• Fiji: +46.4 %

  
  

✖ Steepest Decliners

• Myanmar: -90.5 %

• Jamaica: -51.7 %

  
  

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🔍 Why U.S. Imports Soared (+57.1 %)

1.Tariff-beat rush

• Trump administration confirmed a 25 % tariff on imported passenger cars on 25 Mar 2025; enforcement started 03 Apr 2025 00:00.

• Ports/forwarders alerted clients: cargo landed by 02 Apr cleared duty-free.

• March U.S. retail auto sales rose +4.6 % YoY—analysts flagged “tariff-fear buying.”

• Japan–US Ro-Ro transit (14-17 days) meant April customs entries spiked.

2. Dealer / OEM inventory buffering

• CaseTake-awaySourceToyotaApril U.S. sales +8 % on “tariff rush”BloombergMercedesTold analysts it front-loaded U.S. stockReutersMarketQ1 U.S. auto sales +4.8 %, inventory “2-3 months cover”CarsCommerce

  
  

3. Used-car price pull

• Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index up +2.7 % MoM / +4.9 % YoY.

• Cox Automotive estimates new-car prices +4-8 % → spillover to used.

• CPO sales: -5.9 % MoM but +11 % YoY—buyers pivot to certified used.

  
  

4. Macro tailwinds

• Yen averaged ¥144/US$ in April (still weak vs Feb). Importers kept 3-4 % ROE cushion.

• Blank sailings on Asia-US containers freed PCC capacity; extra sailings added.

• USTR’s NTE report warns of consumer burden; bilateral talks revisit tariff on 09 Jul.

  
  

5. Looking ahead—action list

Checkpoint	Risk	Exporter Move
Tariff made permanent?	▲15-20 % volume drop	Ship extra lots before May-end; lock port slots
MUVVI > 210	Sourcing cost ↑	Prioritise CPO/lease-returns
USD > ¥150	Cost edge ↑	Hedge 6-month forwards; FOB margin keep
Ongoing blank sailings	Space tight	12-month minimum-roll contracts

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🔍 Why Fiji’s Imports Jumped (+46.4 %)

1. Raw numbers

   • Exports: 476 → 697 units (+46.4 %).

   • Visitors: 80,363 in April (+25.9 % MoM) – above pre-Covid.

   • 2024 Japan-car import value: US$60 m (+18 % YoY).

     
     

2. Demand side—tourism & rentals

   • Fiji Bureau of Stats: visitor arrivals +4 % YoY, 3-month streak.

   • Rental majors bulk-buy hybrid sedans; ride-share & delivery drivers favour fuel-sippers.

     
     

3. Policy—green tax breaks & age caps

   
   

Policy	Summary	Effect
EV/Hybrid 0 % VAT & duty (2022/23 budget)	Import VAT 9 %→0 %, duties slashed	FOB up to FJD 1,500 cheaper
“5-year hybrid rule”	From Jan 2024: hybrids ≥2019 MY; petrol ≥2017 MY	Dealers pre-import 2019-23 hybrids
Old ICE surcharge	Extra FJD 1,000 on pre-rule ICE	Shift toward small hybrids

4. Supply side—shipping & FX

• Swire’s Pacific Weekly Express + ad-hoc PCC sailings; 14-17 day lead-time enables April clearances.

• April FJD/JPY ≈ 65 (≈ 3 % weaker yen YoY); 0 % VAT boosts cash flow.

  
  

5. Dealer playbook

• Zero-down 48-60 month loans (~600 FJD/mo).

• Rentals chase 3-4 yo Prius/Aqua CPO for fuel & maintenance savings.

  
  

Bottom line: A triple cocktail of tourism rebound × green tax × pre-emptive stocking. Watch VAT hikes & space shortages, but high-efficiency Japanese hybrids will stay king.

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🔍 Why Myanmar’s Imports Collapsed (-90.5 %)

1. Numbers: 2,099 → 200 units – steepest fall among major destinations. No right-hand-drive (RHD) import permits issued in April.

   
   

2. Policy squeeze

   • 2025 import guidelines: only 2024/25 MY left-hand-drive vehicles allowed.

   • June order: EV/SKD duty cut to 0-3 %, plus new eco levy on ICE.

     
     

3. Logistics choke

Route	Issue	Impact
Myawaddy–Karen	Sporadic highway closures since Dec 2023	Weeks-long delays
Mae Hong Son	24 Jun 2025: hundreds of cars seized	Higher customs risk & insurance

4. Currency & FX control

   • MMK 2,098/US$ (-23 % YoY); L/C issuance stalls.

   • CBM shifts duties to weekly market rates; tightens USD payment rules.

5. Sanctions & credit crunch

   • OFAC broadened Burma sanctions (Nov 2024); insurers hiked premiums +30 %.

     
     

6. Market reactions

   • Yangon’s Saya San Road stock down to 20 % of normal; RHD prices +35 % YoY.

   • Left-hand Chinese EVs appear at ~+15 % over Guangzhou prices.

     
     

Summary: Policy bans × border chaos × FX lockdown × sanctions = demand evaporated. Pivot to LHD hybrids/EVs and alternative routes; hedge FX and diversify financing.

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🔍 Why Jamaica’s Imports Plunged (-51.7 %)

1. Import caps & new-car incentives

   • Nov 2024: tighter rules; >5-year cars face extra duty, most models must be ≥2018 MY.

   • Bond for new-car dealers slashed 100 %→20 %, making new cars price-competitive.

     
     

2. PSI inspection & currency hit

   • PSI certificate mandatory from 01 Jul 2025; adds ≈US$150 per unit plus delays.

   • J$165/US$ in April—import costs soar; yen-linked purchases exposed to FX swings.

     
     

3. Weak demand & overstock

   • New-car incentives shrink used-car price gap; low-end demand dries up.

   • Dealers face slow sales + rising inventory; cash-flow stress escalates.

     
     

4. Macro import slowdown

   • Nationwide imports down -3.4 % YoY to Oct 2024; energy & materials drag, spilling into autos.

     
     

Takeaway: Overlapping import curbs, PSI fees, FX pain, and pro-new-car policy slashed Japanese used-car inflows. Exporters need agile inventory, FX hedging, and possible market diversification.

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Final Thoughts

April’s export ledger reveals tariff-fuelled surges (U.S.), tourism-driven booms (Fiji), and policy-induced collapses (Myanmar, Jamaica). For exporters, real-time monitoring of regulations, currency trends, and shipping capacity remains mission-critical for the rest of 2025.

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国名	Country name	３月	4月	増減割合
ロシア	RUSSIA	15,083	16,157	7.1%
アラブ首長国連邦	UAE	24,037	26,148	8.8%
モンゴル	Mongolia	9,342	8,379	-10.3%
タンザニア	Tanzania	8,854	8,078	-8.8%
ニュージーランド	NEW ZEALAND	6,942	7,286	5.0%
バングラデシュ	BANGLADESH	2,338	1,644	-29.7%
フィリピン	PHILIPPINE	4,086	3,632	-11.1%
タイ	Thailand	4,578	4,547	-0.7%
ケニア	KENYA	5,585	6,039	8.1%
ジャマイカ	JAMAICA	3,562	1,722	-51.7%
南アフリカ共和国	SOUTH AFRICA	5,507	5,826	5.8%
マレーシア	MALYSIA	4,627	3,293	-28.8%
チリ	CHILE	8,077	7,331	-9.2%
ウガンダ	Uganda	4,089	3,873	-5.3%
オーストラリア	AUSTRALIA	1,666	1,444	-13.3%
ザンビア	Zambia	1,531	1,452	-5.2%
英国	United Kingdom	1,775	1,885	6.2%
アメリカ合衆国	United states of america	1,024	1,609	57.1%
モザンビーク	Mozambique	1,861	1,457	-21.7%
ガイアナ	Guyana	1,758	2,147	22.1%
コンゴ民主共和国	Democratic Republic of the Congo	1,301	1,141	-12.3%
アイルランド	Ireland	1,130	1,129	-0.1%
ミャンマー	Myanmar	2,099	200	-90.5%
ナイジェリア	Nigeria	2,389	2,541	6.4%
ジョージア	Georgia	1,345	1,410	4.8%
フィジー	Fiji	476	697	46.4%
ガーナ	Ghana	1,858	1,868	0.5%
シンガポール	SINGAPORE	345	383	11.0%
ジンバブエ	Zimbabwe	1,038	1,044	0.6%
バハマ	Bahamas	806	552	-31.5%

For more details, Please inquire for further details.

Thank you for your continued support of Japan Carrier.

The Japan Carrier Team

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👉 Past Export Reports：

📚 過去の統計記事 / Past Monthly Reports:

• 2024年8月の統計記事 / August 2024 Report

• 2024年9月の統計記事 / September 2024 Report

• 2024年10月の統計記事 / October 2024 Report

• 2024年11月の統計記事 / November 2024 Report

• 2024年12月の統計記事 / December 2024 Report

• 2025年1月の統計記事 / January 2025 Report

• 2025年2月の統計記事 / February 2025 Report

• 2025年3月の統計記事 / March 2025 Report

  
  

📊 長期統計データ / Long-Term Reports:

• 2011年から2023年の統計記事 / 2011–2023 Historical Data Report