Route rate sheet · Sea freight · Japan to Trinidad & Tobago
Ship a car from Japan to Trinidad & Tobago
Yokohama, Kobe, Nagoya to Port of Spain in a sealed container. One price covers ocean freight, export handling in Japan and marine insurance; destination port charges, duty and VAT are shown separately below.
Rates verified 9 Nov 2026 · page refreshed 10 Nov 2026
14,430 km great circle · 30-40 days
Rates verified 9 Nov 2026 · page refreshed 10 Nov 2026
At a glance
Japan to Trinidad & Tobago car shipping: cost, time and rules
Shipping a car from Japan to Trinidad & Tobago with IPAS Express costs from $10,155 port to port for one car in its own 20ft container, with sea transit of 30-40 days. Trinidad and Tobago drives on the left, so Japanese right-hand-drive cars suit it. Import tax is customs duty, a per-cc Motor Vehicle Tax and 12.5% VAT.
Trinidad and Tobago requires right-hand drive, which matches Japanese-market cars.
- Steering
- Right-hand drive required
- Trinidad and Tobago drives on the left. A left-hand-drive vehicle is not registrable; a right-hand-drive conversion is accepted. Japanese-market cars are right-hand drive.
- Main charges
- Customs duty, Motor Vehicle Tax, 12.5% VAT
- Duty is charged on CIF value. Motor Vehicle Tax is a specific tax per cc of engine size. VAT is 12.5% on CIF plus duty plus Motor Vehicle Tax.
- Origin preference
- None for Japan
- Japan has no preferential rate for motor vehicles. Only CARICOM-origin goods get 0% duty.
- Hybrids and EVs
- Relief for qualifying private hybrids and EVs
- A full hybrid up to 1,599 cc with an electric motor up to 105 kW can pay 0% duty, no Motor Vehicle Tax and 0% VAT. A used hybrid must be 3 years old or less from the year of manufacture. Relief does not depend on country of origin.
- Used cars
- Import licence and age cap
- Used vehicles need an import licence from the Ministry of Trade and Industry and are subject to an age cap counted from manufacture. Confirm the current cap before shipping.
- Destination port
- Port of Spain, Trinidad
- Tobago is reached by inter-island ferry. Clearance is through the Customs and Excise Division.
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Rate sheet · Port of Yokohama → Port of Spain
What it costs, line by line
Insurance is figured on a declared value of $7,600 (reference vehicle: 2026 Suzuki Fronx). Every line comes from the same tables the calculator reads, so the quote you get matches this sheet.
1 car · own 20ft container
Any car up to 5.6 m, sealed; door-to-door available
$10,155per car $10,155- Ocean freight
- $7,950
- Export handling
- $2,105
- Insurance
- $100
- Destination est. (at port)
- $1,775
2 cars · 40ft high-cube
Two cars you ship together, or a group booking
$12,915per car $6,458- Ocean freight
- $9,900
- Export handling
- $2,815
- Insurance
- $200
- Destination est. (at port)
- $1,775
3–4 cars · racked 40ft HC
Compact cars on a rack system; racking quoted per booking
Quoteper car from ~$3,400- Ocean freight
- $9,900
- Export handling
- on request
- Insurance
- per value
- Destination est. (at port)
- —
RoRo · per car
Oversize vehicles only; not offered for passenger cars
On requestper car —- Ocean freight
- on request
- Export handling
- on request
- Insurance
- —
- Destination est. (at port)
- —
Scroll for line-by-line costs →
| Shipping option | Total · IPAS price | Per car | Ocean freight | Export handling (Japan) | Insurance 0.2% | Destination charges · est., payable at port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 car · own 20ft containerAny car up to 5.6 m, sealed; door-to-door available | $10,155 | $10,155 | $7,950 | $2,105packaging $600 · THC $220 · clearance $255 | $100 | $1,775THC $275 · customs handling $1,500 |
| 2 cars · 40ft high-cubeTwo cars you ship together, or a group booking | $12,915 | $6,458 | $9,900 | $2,815packaging 2×$600 · THC $330 · clearance $255 | $200 | $1,775THC $275 · customs handling $1,500 |
| 3–4 cars · racked 40ft HCCompact cars on a rack system; racking quoted per booking | Quote | from ~$3,400 | $9,900 | on request | per value | — |
| RoRo · per carOversize vehicles only; not offered for passenger cars | On request | — | on request | on request | — | — |
Door pick-up within the port's standard radius adds about $660 per car. Insurance is 0.2% of the declared vehicle value, with a per-car minimum. Destination charges are paid at Port of Spain on arrival and are not part of the total. Duty and VAT are not in this table either: see the landed-cost examples below or run CarImport.AI. Ocean figures are our current route rates and update when the rate table changes.
Included in the IPAS price
- Included: Export packaging, chocking and lashing inside the container
- Included: Export customs clearance in Japan
- Included: Terminal handling at Port of Yokohama
- Included: Ocean freight Port of Yokohama → Port of Spain
- Included: Marine insurance at 0.2% of the declared value
- Included: Bill of Lading, packing list and tracking
Not included
- Not included: Destination port charges (shown per row; paid at Port of Spain on arrival)
- Not included: Trinidad & Tobago customs duty and VAT
- Not included: Conformity certification and registration inspection
- Not included: Inland collection unless door pick-up is selected
- Not included: Storage or demurrage after the port's free days
- Not included: Personal effects: the car ships empty
Ports & inland reach
Where your car leaves and arrives
Load ports · Japan
Japan
Port of Yokohama
Yokohama / Tokyo region
Port of Kobe
Kobe / Kansai
Port of Nagoya
Nagoya / Chubu
Discharge ports · Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago
Port of Spain
Port of Spain / Trinidad; Tobago by inter-island ferry
Timeline
Booking to keys in hand
- 2–5
1. Booking and export documents in Japan
days
- 2–4
2. Container loading and export customs
days
- 30–40
3. Ocean transit to Port of Spain
days
- 1–3
4. Arrival and discharge at Port of Spain
days
- 3–7
5. Customs clearance and payment of duty, Motor Vehicle Tax and VAT
days
- 2–10
6. Registration and collection
days
Typical door to door: 6–10 weeks.
Documents
Paperwork on both ends
We prepare the shipping set; you supply the ownership and identity documents.
Export side · Japan
Before the car can load
- 01Export certificate (deregistration certificate)輸出抹消登録証明書 · Issued when the car is deregistered in Japan for export.
- 02Commercial invoice
- 03Bill of ladingIssued by the shipping line after loading.
Import side · Trinidad & Tobago
To clear and register in Trinidad & Tobago
- 01Import licence for used vehiclesIssued by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Required for used cars only.
- 02Proof of manufacture yearNeeded to show the vehicle is within the used-car age cap and the age limits for hybrid and EV relief.
- 03Customs entry with the Customs and Excise DivisionDuty, Motor Vehicle Tax and VAT are assessed on this entry.
Landed-cost examples · Trinidad & Tobago
Cars worth importing to Trinidad & Tobago
Landed-cost examples for Trinidad & Tobago, from other origins.
Available now in Japan
Export-ready units from Japan
FAQ
Japan to Trinidad & Tobago shipping questions
With IPAS Express, shipping one car from Japan to Trinidad & Tobago costs from $10,155 port to port in its own 20ft container, with sea transit of 30-40 days. Import duty and taxes in Trinidad & Tobago are paid on arrival and are not included.
Yes. Trinidad and Tobago drives on the left and requires right-hand drive, so Japanese-market cars are the right steering side. A left-hand-drive car is not registrable, although a right-hand-drive conversion is accepted.
Used vehicles need an import licence from the Ministry of Trade and Industry and are subject to an age cap. Used cars pay 75% of the normal Motor Vehicle Tax. Confirm the current age cap and licence position before shipping.
Three taxes apply: customs duty on CIF value, a Motor Vehicle Tax charged per cc of engine size, and 12.5% VAT on CIF plus duty plus Motor Vehicle Tax. Japan gets no preferential rate. Qualifying private hybrids and electric cars can be relieved of some or all of these taxes.
Sea transit is 30-40 days from Japanese ports to Port of Spain. Allow extra time for deregistration and export customs in Japan, discharge, and customs clearance in Trinidad & Tobago.
IPAS Express loads at Yokohama for the Tokyo region, Kobe for Kansai and Nagoya for Chubu. Choose the port closest to the car. All three reach Port of Spain, with sea transit of 30-40 days.
Keep exploring
Related routes and guides
Other origins → Trinidad & Tobago
Japan → other destinations
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