We ship used tires from Japan to import markets across five continents. Each destination has its own import rules, ports and paperwork — some straightforward, some genuinely uncertain. The guides below cover what we have confirmed for each one, grouped by region, including where we could not confirm something and say so.

West Africa

Ghana No import ban, unlike neighbouring Nigeria. Tema and Takoradi, CIF, full 40ft containers. Senegal The ban announced in 2023 was never enacted. Here is what the primary sources actually say. Guinea No permit scheme for tires. The thirteen-year ban applies to vehicles, not to tires. Cameroon A flat customs value that sits below the one applied to new tires. ANOR certificate, Douala and Kribi. Mali No confirmed ban on tires — the restrictions we could find apply to used vehicles, not tires. Côte d’Ivoire No permit or certification scheme found for tires. Abidjan is also West Africa’s main transit hub for landlocked neighbours. Burkina Faso No law restricting tire imports found. Landlocked — cargo transits through Togo, Ghana or Côte d’Ivoire. Togo No import restriction on Togo’s side. Lomé is also Sub-Saharan Africa’s busiest container port.

Southeast Asia

Malaysia An MITI Approved Permit is required — and only certified retreaders can get one. Thailand Since July 2025, passenger tires are banned outright. Only bus and truck casings for re-export still clear. Myanmar A genuinely uncertain market — confirm with a local agent before you order. Philippines A 1980 presidential order restricts imports on paper. Confirm the current position with your broker before ordering. Cambodia Secondary sources disagree on the ban and cite laws we could not locate — confirm HS 4012.20’s status with your broker.

North America

United States An HS-7 declaration and DOT compliance are the norm — casings for retreading move under a lighter rule. Mexico A 2025 decree banned temporary import for resale — permanent import for retreading, under Modalidad C, was not affected.

East & Central Asia

Mongolia No permit system found — a flat 15% duty is the main cost to plan for. South Korea No tire-specific import permit found — confirm current practice with UNIPASS or your broker. Kyrgyzstan EAEU rules classify used tires as controlled — but the control we found targets exports out of the bloc, not imports in.

Caucasus

Georgia No import permit found. A 2016 ban proposal was never enacted.

South America

Bolivia Legal at a flat 30% duty — and Japan is already the leading supplier. Paraguay Direct-reuse import is restricted on paper — a certificate route for retreading stock is the legitimate channel for a container of tires.

South Asia

India A DGFT import authorisation is required — capped at 40% of your last three years’ import record.

Central America & Caribbean

Honduras No import ban found. Japanese export statistics and 2024 trade data both show continuing shipments. El Salvador A named, legal import category — 15% duty, not a grey zone — with mandatory fumigation on arrival. Dominican Republic Import is legal with no quality bar — but only tires within 4 years of manufacture and above minimum tread pass roadside checks. Panama No tire-specific ban found. The Colón Free Zone is a government-sanctioned re-export hub across Central America and the Caribbean.

Southern & Central Africa

DR Congo No ban on the tires themselves — but a pre-shipment inspection in Japan is mandatory before the container can sail. Lesotho A free, automatic import licence, issued in as little as two hours — apply before the ship docks.