Deleted additional verification system when certifying U.S. imports, tensions grow in the domestic automobile industry

*This content was translated by AI.

As Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport created a new certification system for U.S.-made passenger cars and implemented it immediately, the inflow of cars produced in the U.S. into the Japanese market is expected to accelerate. On February 16, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport promulgated an amendment to the Road Transport Vehicle Security Standards, which included the establishment of a certification system for U.S.-made passenger cars, and implemented it on the same day.

The move is designed to implement tariffs and trade agreements between the U.S. and Japan, which aim to allow imports of cars manufactured locally in the U.S. and certified by meeting U.S. safety standards without additional testing when sold in Japan. Specifically, if the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recognizes that the vehicle has safety and pollution prevention measures and does not interfere with security or environmental protection, it is considered to have met Japan's security standards.

Automobiles certified through this system must have a separate mark on the back of the vehicle body, and the relevant information is also specified on the vehicle inspection certificate (vehicle verification). Until now, it has been pointed out that the import barrier of US-made vehicles is high due to strict Japanese independent standards and additional inspection procedures, but the establishment of the certification system has drastically reduced the import process and cost burden.

The deregulation is expected to benefit Japanese automakers, especially those with large production bases in the United States. For example, Toyota Motor Corp. has already announced plans to introduce U.S. production models "Camley," "Highlander," and "Toundra" to the Japanese market sequentially from 2026. Toyota's reverse import strategy is expected to gain more momentum as the implementation of the system removes legal and administrative obstacles to landing these models in Japan.

Experts in the Japanese automobile industry analyze that the move will ease tensions in U.S.-Japan trade relations while giving Japanese consumers more options. The simplification of the certification process for U.S. cars signals a structural change in which U.S. market-specific models, such as large SUVs and pickup trucks, appear more often on Japanese roads, beyond simply increasing the number of imports. The Japanese government's decision is interpreted as a willingness to respond to changes in the global automobile production and distribution network and to increase market openness through harmonization of international standards.

On the other hand, the situation cannot be optimistic if we apply the background that Japan's measures have been extended to the logic of power by the United States to Korea. Some analysts say that it will be a measure that shakes the foundation of the industry as well as a short-term negative factor of shrinking domestic production. Japan's decision has also been revealed in the last round of tariff negotiations with the U.S. that it is another standard guideline that the U.S. demands from Asian countries. In other words, it is time to prepare for the acceleration of reverse imports of U.S. cars.

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*This content was translated by AI.