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Importing a vehicle into Canada Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) stipulates that before a vehicle can be imported into Canada, it has to comply with all Canadian import laws. The vehicle must meet the requirements of the CCRA, Transport Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency before it can be imported. Importing vehicles from countries other than the United States According to Transport Canada, vehicles manufactured to meet the safety requirements for countries other than Canada and the United States do not comply with the requirements of the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act, can NOT be altered to comply and can NOT be imported into Canada. However, vehicles fifteen (15) years old or older as determined by the month and year in which the vehicle was manufactured, and buses that were manufactured before January 1, 1971, are an exception to this rule and CAN be imported into Canada. Vehicles acquired in foreign countries other than the U.S. and designed, built, tested and certified to meet either all applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or all applicable United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and bearing a statement of compliance label affixed by the original manufacturer, as required by the Regulations, may be eligible for importation into Canada provided the vehicle has not been altered and the certification from the original manufacturer is maintained. The illegal importation of a motor vehicle into Canada is a criminal offense. Inadmissible vehicles will be denied entry into Canada and will be detained. All storage and disposal fees are the responsibility of the importer. Import services that JNS Imports provides JNS Imports will facilitate the import of vehicles that are fifteen (15) years old or older. We will facilitate the process to ensure that each imported vehicle complies with Canadian import laws. Registration of imported vehicles To register an imported vehicle for the first time in Canada, the following is required (in addition to the usual required documents to register a used vehicle):
JNS Imports will provide customers with the following documents that may be needed to register and/or insure the imported vehicle:
Customers will be responsible for having the out-of-province inspection completed for the vehicle in the province in which the vehicle is being registered. Customers will also be responsible for any repairs and repair costs required to pass the out-of-province inspection. Right Hand Drive (RHD) vehicles Vehicles manufactured for the Japanese market are built with the JDM specification, which is Right Hand Drive. You do not require a special driver's licence nor special registration to own or drive a Right Hand Drive vehicle in Canada. Other than the fact that the driver is on the right hand side of the vehicle, everything else is basically in the same position as Left Hand Drive (LHD) vehicles. The clutch (if applicable), brake, and gas pedals on RHD vehicles are in the same position as LHD vehicles (i.e. clutch is on the left, brake is center, and gas is on the right). Manual gearboxes are configured the same (i.e. first gear is top-left), but you use your left hand to shift. The signal switch, however, is on the right side of the steering column. Vehicles that have the windshield wiper switch on the steering column will have it located on the left side of the steering column. Importing vehicles from Japan There are a few interesting things to note about vehicles in Japan. The Japanese culture and population density promotes the use of mass transit or alternative transportation, such as bicycles, to commute to and from work. Combine this with the size of Japan, and it's not surprising that vehicles tend to have low kilometers. The maximum speed limit in Japan is 80 km/h, with hefty fines (about 10,000 Yen which is over $110 Cdn) to deter people from speeding. City traffic is often no more than 20 km/h due to the amount of traffic and traffic jams. Thus, vehicles in Japan are typically not subjected to the same rigors as in North America. Overall, imported Japanese vehicles are in better condition, are better constructed, often have more options, and are much cheaper than local alternatives. Japanese vehicles Japanese vehicles manufactured for the Japanese market are built with the JDM specification, which is Right Hand Drive. Some of these vehicles, such as the Nissan Skyline, were never built with a Left Hand Drive version for North America, and thus, were never available in the North American market. Other JDM vehicles might have a North American counterpart, but use a different name for the American market. Although some JDM vehicles may appear to be the same as the North American version, they quite often have different specifications than their North American counterpart. They could have a stiffer suspension, different engine specifications, different gearbox, or variances in features or options. European vehicles Many European vehicles have been imported into Japan in the past and are now available on the used market in Japan. Some European vehicles have been built as a Right Hand Drive vehicle, while most others have been imported as Left Hand Drive vehicles. The biggest advantage to importing a European vehicle from Japan instead of directly from Europe is the reduced shipping cost because Japan is much closer to Canada (west coast) than any European port. There are quite a few BMW's and Mercedes available in the used vehicle market of Japan. There are also a fair number of VW's that show up on the used market as well as a few Volvo's and the occasional Porsche. North American vehicles Some North American vehicles, especially the big block muscle cars, were imported into Japan in the past and can occasionally be found in the Japanese used vehicle market today. |
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