Import · Japan → USA

Importing a Toyota Chaser JZX100 to the USA

A 1JZ-powered executive sedan that drifts — the JZX100 is the connoisseur's import.

Marcus Lane
By Marcus Lane, Vehicle import & export specialist · 6 min read
Toyota Chaser JZX100 — Japan → USA cost guide
Toyota Chaser JZX100. Photo: Mld61294 · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer

A Toyota Chaser JZX100 costs about $33,570 all-in to import on the Japan → USA route in 2026 — a $26,000 purchase plus roughly $7,570 in shipping, 2.5% duty, compliance and registration.

Route
Japan → USA
Est. all-in cost
~$33,570
Duty & tax
2.5% duty
On a purchase of
$26,000

The turbo Tourer V is the one to import and is now 25-year eligible at the earliest build dates.

Many have been drift-modified; a clean stock car is increasingly rare and valuable.

How much does it cost to import a Toyota Chaser JZX100?

Every line below is a researched 2026 estimate in USD. We start from the $26,000 purchase price, add marine insurance at about 1.5% and ocean freight, then 2.5% US duty on the declared value, and the broker, compliance and registration fees. Change the purchase price and everything else scales only modestly.

Estimated landed cost — Toyota Chaser JZX100, Japan → USA, 2026
Vehicle (purchase price)$26,000
Export agent & auction fees$1,200
Ocean freight$2,700
Marine insurance (~1.5%)$390
2.5% US duty$650
Customs broker & port handling$830
EPA / DOT entry & compliance paperwork$300
Inland transport & registration$1,500
Estimated all-in landed cost$33,570

Into USA the duty is light, just $650, so tax is the small part of the bill. It is shipping (about $2,700), compliance and registration that make up most of the roughly $7,570 you add on top of the $26,000 purchase price — around 29% before you turn a wheel.

How to import a Toyota Chaser JZX100, step by step

  1. Agree the purchase and secure the title/export paperwork in Japan (an export agent or auction house usually handles de-registration).
  2. Book ocean freight — roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) is cheapest, a sole-use container is safest for a high-value car.
  3. Confirm eligibility from the build month — the US 25-year DOT exemption is calculated month by month, not by model year.
  4. Clear US customs and pay the 2.5% duty, then file EPA Form 3520-1 and DOT Form HS-7 at entry.
  5. Arrange inland transport, then title and register in your state — a few states add emissions or kei-vehicle checks.

Is a Toyota Chaser JZX100 legal to import? Rules & compliance

Eligibility is build-month sensitive on the earliest cars; otherwise a clean 2.5%-duty import.

Frequently asked questions

Which Chaser to import?+

The 1JZ-GTE Tourer V.

Stock or modified?+

Stock examples carry a premium and fewer surprises.

What is the total estimated cost to import a Toyota Chaser JZX100?+

About $33,570 all-in for a $26,000 example — the purchase price plus roughly $7,570 in freight, insurance, duty, compliance and registration. Your figure shifts with the exact price, route and exchange rate.

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