Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Japan ACP for European Manufacturers: How to Use EU-Japan EPA Tariff Preferences Without a Japan Entity
The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (commonly known as JEEPA) eliminated or significantly reduced import tariff rates on a wide range of European manufactured goods entering Japan....
Japan ACP for Korean Manufacturers: How to Stay Named as Importer on Japan Customs Declarations Without a Japan Entity
Korean manufacturers exporting to Japan through Japanese trading companies or distributors as nominal importers are operating under a customs structure that the October 2023 Japan Customs reform...
Japan ACP for China-Based Manufacturers: How to Stay Named as Importer on Japan Customs Declarations Without a Japan Entity
China is Japan's largest import source by volume. The customs arrangements that historically governed the China-Japan trade flow were built around a model that the October 2023 Japan Customs...
Japan ACP for Wholesale and Distribution Brands: How to Stay Named as Importer Without a Japan Entity
Your Japanese distributor handles sales. But who appears on Japan's import declaration (輸入申告) as the legal importer? If your answer is "the distributor" or "the freight forwarder," your customs...
ACP vs. Customs Broker in Japan: What's the Difference and When Do You Need Both?
Every non-resident company importing to Japan encounters two terms early in the process: the customs broker (通関業者) and the Attorney for Customs Procedures (税関事務管理人, ACP). Most companies assume one...
ACP Registration in Japan: The Step-by-Step Setup Guide for Non-Resident Importers (2026)
Setting up an Attorney for Customs Procedures (税関事務管理人, ACP) requires three separate registrations before your first shipment: the ACP notification with Japan Customs, a Tax Representative (納税管理人)...
Japan Bonded Warehouse and 保税地域 Guide: Duty Deferral, Re-Export, and the Five Zone Types Every Importer Should Know
Storing, Processing, and Re-Exporting Goods Without Paying Japanese Duty: How Bonded Zones, Bonded Warehouses, and Bonded Manufacturing Operations Work
How to Import from the US to Japan: Japan-US Trade Agreement, US Re-Export Controls, and Dual Compliance for Cross-Border Shipments in 2026
Importing from the United States to Japan carries a compliance profile that differs from every other major trade corridor. Two features make it distinctive. First, the Japan-US Trade Agreement is...
How to Import from the EU to Japan: Japan-EU EPA, REX Origin Statements, and the Regulatory Differences Every European Exporter Must Know
Yes, EU exporters can bring most goods into Japan at reduced or zero duty under the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (JEEPA, 経済連携協定), in force since February 2019. But tariff preference and...
Japan Customs Advance Ruling (事前教示制度) - How to Lock In HS Classification, Valuation, and Origin Before Your Shipment Arrives
The Pre-Import Binding Determination Mechanism That Eliminates Classification Risk for Recurring Shipments