April 2025 Used-Car Export Snapshot: U.S. & Fiji Go on a Buying Spree, Myanmar & Jamaica Slam on the Brakes
- fukada93
- Jun 30
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 1
🌟 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:
Last-minute shipments ahead of a 25 % U.S. tariff
Post-pandemic tourism rebound & green-tax cuts (Fiji)
Left-hand-drive mandate & border disruption (Myanmar)
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 %
🔍 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 |
🔍 Why Fiji’s Imports Jumped (+46.4 %)
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$60 m (+18 % YoY).
Demand side—tourism & rentals
Fiji Bureau of Stats: visitor arrivals +4 % YoY, 3-month streak.
Rental majors bulk-buy hybrid sedans; ride-share & delivery drivers favour fuel-sippers.
Policy—green tax breaks & age caps
Policy | Summary | Effect |
EV/Hybrid 0 % VAT & duty (2022/23 budget) | Import VAT 9 %→0 %, duties slashed | FOB up to FJD 1,500 cheaper |
“5-year hybrid rule” | From Jan 2024: hybrids ≥2019 MY; petrol ≥2017 MY | Dealers pre-import 2019-23 hybrids |
Old ICE surcharge | Extra FJD 1,000 on pre-rule ICE | Shift toward small hybrids |
4. Supply side—shipping & FX
Swire’s Pacific Weekly Express + ad-hoc PCC sailings; 14-17 day lead-time enables April clearances.
April FJD/JPY ≈ 65 (≈ 3 % weaker yen YoY); 0 % VAT boosts cash flow.
5. Dealer playbook
Zero-down 48-60 month loans (~600 FJD/mo).
Rentals chase 3-4 yo Prius/Aqua CPO for fuel & maintenance savings.
Bottom line: A triple cocktail of tourism rebound × green tax × pre-emptive stocking. Watch VAT hikes & space shortages, but high-efficiency Japanese hybrids will stay king.
🔍 Why Myanmar’s Imports Collapsed (-90.5 %)
Numbers: 2,099 → 200 units – steepest fall among major destinations. No right-hand-drive (RHD) import permits issued in April.
Policy squeeze
2025 import guidelines: only 2024/25 MY left-hand-drive vehicles allowed.
June order: EV/SKD duty cut to 0-3 %, plus new eco levy on ICE.
Logistics choke
Route | Issue | Impact |
Myawaddy–Karen | Sporadic highway closures since Dec 2023 | Weeks-long delays |
Mae Hong Son | 24 Jun 2025: hundreds of cars seized | Higher customs risk & insurance |
Currency & FX control
MMK 2,098/US$ (-23 % YoY); L/C issuance stalls.
CBM shifts duties to weekly market rates; tightens USD payment rules.
Sanctions & credit crunch
OFAC broadened Burma sanctions (Nov 2024); insurers hiked premiums +30 %.
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.
🔍 Why Jamaica’s Imports Plunged (-51.7 %)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
👉 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
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