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Dealer procurement service

Let us import your dream car with our no-fee import process.

We will shop for the perfect JDM vehicle for you with the same expertise we use to stock our dealership. You can special-order the exact car you want, and best of all, there are no extra fees - we do not charge a broker fee, a finder's fee, or any markup on your vehicle.

We do everything: we source the car, purchase it, export it from Japan, import it into Canada, get it inspected and registered, tune it up, and transfer it to you. All you need to do is pick up the keys.

Our process is transparent. We do not mark up any Japan-side costs - you pay the exact price we pay when we buy for our dealership inventory.

Want to get started? Have a look at the FAQs below, then fill out the quick form at the bottom of this page and we'll send you everything you need to begin the process.

Import a car from Japan

Frequently-asked questions

What's in the contract you will ask me to sign?

📄 Here's the contract template - yours will be based on this. (Don't fill this one out!)

What is a "procurement"?

As a licensed motor vehicle dealership in BC, procurements allow us to buy your vehicle from Japan and into our inventory. This gives us the power to clear the vehicle at customs, have it inspected, and register it, without you having to do anything - you don't need to visit customs, sign a sketchy power of attorney document, or do anything else with the paperwork.

When you agree to have us procure a vehicle for you, we work to import the perfect JDM vehicle for you while minimizing your cost. We do this by:

  • Using our knowledge from decades of exporting cars from Japan to find you the right vehicle
  • Working together to develop a bid strategy
  • Moving the vehicle from the auction to the export port
  • Getting your vehicle in transit to Canada
  • Importing the vehicle and clearing it through customs
  • Arranging inland transportation from the port to our shop
  • Preparing your vehicle for its safety inspection
  • Registering your vehicle in BC
  • Transferring the vehicle to you

Think of it as pre-ordering your JDM import :)

How much does the JDM import service cost?

There are no fees for our dealer procurement service. Your purchase price price will be our cost. We make money by billing you our standard rates for mechanic time, inspection, inland transportation, and documentation fee, all of which are quoted in advance and match industry-standard rates.

What is refundable, and what isn't?

Your deposit, less C$100 plus GST, is fully refundable until we win an auction for you. At that point, since the car has been purchased by us, you are obligated to complete your contracted purchase of it from us.

How much of a deposit is needed?

Your deposit will be for our estimate of all Japan-side and Canada-side expenses, less sales tax. Note that this will just be an estimate - you are responsible for any additional expenses (and we will refund to you any surplus).

How long do I have to make a decision?

When we send you candidate vehicles, you'll have between 6 and 12 hours to make a decision about whether and how much to bid.

How does the export process work?

Expect the entire process to take between 8 and 12 weeks. Here's a timeline of the process:

Fill out our intake form to tell us your must-haves, must-not-haves, and budget.

We'll use that info to send you a contract, an invoice, and payment instructions for your purchase deposit.

Week 1

We start sending you potential vehicles that match your criteria.

Vehicles are up for auction 6 days a week, and you'll have somewhere between 6 and 12 hours to decide whether to bid on each candidate.

Week 1

You were patient and waited for the right vehicle, and your bid on your dream JDM car was accepted! Congratulations - you're now the owner of a gorgeous right-hand drive head turner (and it's only 7,600km away).

Week 2

Your vehicle has moved from its auction location to its shipping destination, and it's been washed and prepared for shipment.

Week 3

This is the part that requires the most patience: waiting for the car to ship.

Your vehicle will either go on a roll-on, roll-off ("Roro") ferry, or be carefully loaded into a container shipped by a container ship. Either way, shipping timelines and costs are highly variable.

Week 4+

The ship's docked in Canada and your car's been unloaded! We're on our way to pick it up and bring it to our shop.

Week 7+

We did the necessary work on your car to make it road-legal for BC (probably new tires, new brakes, and daytime running lights; maybe more, depending on the car). It's inspected and BC-registered.

Week 8+

You're driving away from our dealership in your brand-new-to-you JDM import.

Week 9-10

How much does it cost to import a car from Japan?

Here's how one recent transaction went. Yours will be different than this example - this is only for illustrative purposes.

Purchase and export charges, at cost
Winning bid (purchase price) ¥500,000
Auction fee ¥88,000
Wash / cleaning fee
Vehicles must be cleaned of potential soil contaminants by a certified cleaning company in Japan prior to export 		¥10,000
Roll-on, roll-off shipping
This is varies a lot! 		¥202,000
Bank transfer fees
Charged by Japan-side vendors to receive foreign wires 		¥2,500
Total purchase and export fees C$7,470
¥793,500
Exchange rate as of 2025-07-06
Import fees, at cost
Terminal charges C$405
Excise tax C$100
Duty
Trucks are charged some duty on import; passenger cars are not 		C$0+
Total import fees C$505
Road-readiness and dealer fees
Transportation from the port to our dealership C$599
Parts and labour
This varies depending on what your vehicle needs! 		C$1,000+
Inspection
Necessary for BC registration 		C$349
ICBC registration C$18
Dealer documentation fee C$495
Total road-readiness and dealer fees C$2,461
Grand total
Subtotal C$10,436
GST C$522
PST C$730
Grand total C$11,688