Daihatsu Hijet Import to USA: 2026 Cost Guide
The Daihatsu Hijet is the budget king of the kei-truck world — a 660cc, often-4WD mini hauler that's usually the cheapest thing on the Japanese auction block.
A Daihatsu Hijet costs about $14,453 all-in to import on the Japan → USA route in 2026 — a $6,500 purchase plus roughly $7,953 in shipping, 25% duty, compliance and registration.
- Route
- Japan → USA
- Est. all-in cost
- ~$14,453
- Duty & tax
- 25% duty
- On a purchase of
- $6,500
Buyers chase the Hijet because it does real work for kei-truck money: a 660cc three-cylinder, selectable 4WD on most farm-spec trucks, a proper low-range transfer case, and factory dump beds that tip a quarter-ton of gravel with a hand pump. It slots into places a full-size pickup never fits.
It's also the volume play: Daihatsu built Hijets by the hundreds of thousands, so supply is deep and auction prices sit at the bottom of the kei market — the reason it dominates US mini-truck imports. The catch is the cargo bed, which drops it into the 25% chicken-tax duty bracket.
The Hijet nameplate dates to 1960, making it one of Japan's longest-running kei haulers, and decades of farm and trade duty turned it into a tool rather than a toy. Imported examples are usually agricultural-spec: 4WD, a five-speed manual, an ultra-low 'granny' gear, a rear diff lock, and frequently a hydraulic dump bed. That mix of tiny footprint, genuine off-road hardware and pennies-per-mile running cost is why orchards, ranches, hunting camps and campgrounds keep buying them.
At Japanese auctions the Hijet is reliably the cheapest kei truck on offer thanks to sheer supply, which makes it the default pick for budget importers weighing it against a Suzuki Carry or Honda Acty. Inspect for what salt and hard use kill: rust in the bed floor, frame rails and cab corners, a dump mechanism that actually cycles, and a solid auction-sheet grade. The EF three-cylinder is durable, but confirm timing-belt history, coolant condition and clean 4WD engagement before you bid through an exporter.
Sourcing is straightforward — a Japanese exporter handles the auction, deregistration and RoRo or container shipping — but budget for the 25% chicken-tax duty on the cargo body, which dwarfs the 2.5% a van pays. The bigger trap is home-state law: kei trucks register freely in some states and are barred from public roads in others, with several recently adopting AAMVA-driven off-road-only rules. Confirm your DMV's stance before wiring a deposit, and treat the Hijet as a low-speed utility vehicle, not a highway commuter.
How much does it cost to import a Daihatsu Hijet?
Every line below is a researched 2026 estimate in USD. We start from the $6,500 purchase price, add marine insurance at about 1.5% and ocean freight, then 25% US duty on the declared value, and the broker, compliance and registration fees. Change the purchase price and everything else scales only modestly.
| Vehicle (purchase price) | $6,500 |
| Export agent & auction fees | $1,200 |
| Ocean freight | $2,400 |
| Marine insurance (~1.5%) | $98 |
| Kei cargo trucks are light trucks, so US Customs applies the 25% "chicken tax" — the 25-year rule waives safety and emissions, not duty | $1,625 |
| Customs broker & port handling | $830 |
| EPA / DOT entry & compliance paperwork | $300 |
| Inland transport & registration | $1,500 |
| Estimated all-in landed cost | $14,453 |
Into USA the duty is light, just $1,625, so tax is the small part of the bill. It is shipping (about $2,400), compliance and registration that make up most of the roughly $7,953 you add on top of the $6,500 purchase price — around 122% before you turn a wheel.
How to import a Daihatsu Hijet, step by step
- Agree the purchase and secure the title/export paperwork in Japan (an export agent or auction house usually handles de-registration).
- Book ocean freight — roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) is cheapest, a sole-use container is safest for a high-value car.
- Confirm eligibility from the build month — the US 25-year DOT exemption is calculated month by month, not by model year.
- Clear US customs and pay the 25% duty, then file EPA Form 3520-1 and DOT Form HS-7 at entry.
- Arrange inland transport, then title and register in your state — a few states add emissions or kei-vehicle checks.
Is a Daihatsu Hijet legal to import? Rules & compliance
Any Hijet 25 or more years old clears the federal hurdle: NHTSA exempts 25-year vehicles from FMVSS, and EPA exempts original-configuration engines at 21 years, so an older Hijet imports on a DOT HS-7 and EPA 3520-1 without modification. Duty is where kei trucks bite — because the Hijet truck is built to carry goods, US Customs classifies it under HTS heading 8704 and applies the 25% "chicken tax," not the 2.5% rate that passenger wagons and the van-bodied Hijet Cargo receive. Registration is a separate, state-by-state matter, and a growing number of states now restrict newer kei trucks to off-road use.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Daihatsu Hijet legal to import to the USA?+
Yes. A Hijet 25 or more years old is exempt from federal FMVSS safety standards and, past 21 years, from EPA emissions compliance in original form, so it imports legally on the standard HS-7 and 3520-1 forms. Newer examples can enter the country but generally can't be road-registered, so titling depends entirely on your state's rules.
Why does a Hijet truck pay 25% duty?+
Because it has a cargo bed. Customs treats it as a goods-transport vehicle under HTS heading 8704, which carries the 25% 'chicken tax.' The passenger-carrying Hijet Cargo van and kei wagons fall under 8703 at just 2.5%, so bodystyle — not engine size — decides the duty rate.
What is the total estimated cost to import a Daihatsu Hijet?+
About $14,453 all-in for a $6,500 example — the purchase price plus roughly $7,953 in freight, insurance, duty, compliance and registration. Your figure shifts with the exact price, route and exchange rate.
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