Pole Position: How To Import A Vehicle Coming From Different Corners Of The World |
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Mon Bennigton
24 January 2013
Propped up by the popularity of movies like The Fast and The Furious series and video games like Gran Turismo and the Need For Speed series, Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) culture has swept into the imagination of car enthusiasts from the four corners of the globe. While the United States and the United Kingdom are known for having a vibrant and thriving JDM culture, in Africa, Kenya has emerged as one of the region's centers for this car culture.
With the growing number of car enthusiasts who want to import a vehicle, the national government has put a stringent set of standards to ensure that vehicles imported to the country are road worthy and safe for both drivers and pedestrians.
Under these regulations, the only vehicles allowed for import are those that are eight years old or newer. Also, the vehicles should be right-hand drive, although special exception is given to vehicles like ambulances and fire engines. Before a vehicle is shipped to any country, it must be certified either by the Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre (JEVIC), Quality Inspection Services Japan (QISJ) or by Auto-terminal. The certificate from these firms is an important requirement for the car to be cleared at Mombasa's port.
An individual cannot easily import a vehicle by themself. In order to import a vehicle, a person must secure the services of a clearing agent to help him with the process of arranging for import documentation and clearing.
Along with the growing car culture comes the opportunity for enterprising individuals to cater to the market's needs for JDM parts as well as performance half cuts.
When going into the business of importing car parts, the advantage lies in having a partner that specializes in exporting cars and parts from Japan. While the JDM market is lucrative, it is not without its own set of woes, particularly in sourcing parts to be imported. One of the major issues importers must understand is that some items are limited to Japan-based entities. And then there is the problem of having to find and buy items from multiple sources. Additionally, the items usually being sold by exporters are but a fraction of what is readily available in the market.
A reliable exporter of Japanese cars and parts will not only save you a significant amount of money but will also save you many of the hassles associated with importing. For one, a specialist Japan partner can give you access to more suppliers. He or she can also help ensure that you get the most out of your shipment by getting you the highest load factor and the lowest landed price.