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Ask a Japanese exporter for a quotation and the reply will be full of abbreviations: PCR, LT or LTR, TBR, casing. They are not marketing terms — each one describes a different tire, a different buyer and a different way of filling a container. Here is what they mean and how to decide which one your market actually needs. PCR — passenger car tires PCR stands for passenger car radial: the tires fitted to ordinary cars. From Japan they come mainly in 12 to 18 inch, in both summer and studless winter patterns, because Japan has one of the largest winter tire markets in the world. PCR is the volume

Almost every new buyer asks whether to start with a 20ft or go straight to a 40ft. The honest answer is that a 20ft is a test, not a business, and we treat it that way — we accept 20ft for an initial trial order so you can judge the grading before you commit. What each container holds 40ft, PCR 12–17 inch: around 2,500–2,800 pieces 40ft, TBR 11R22.5 only: around 288 pieces 40ft, mixed PCR + light truck: around 2,000–2,200 PCR plus 500–550 LT 20ft: roughly half of each figure above These are working numbers from containers we load, not theoretical maximums. The exact count depends on your size mix

Short answer: yes. We load TBR together with LTR, and LTR together with PCR. What matters is that not every combination is available every month, so the mix has to be agreed before booking rather than after. Which combinations we load TBR + LTR — truck & bus tires with light truck tires LTR + PCR — light truck tires with passenger car tires The pairings follow the sizes. Adjacent rim diameters nest and stack together; a 22.5 inch truck tire and a 13 inch passenger tire in the same load do not use the space well. Why mixing fills a container better Used tires are not loaded loose. Smaller

If you have seen piece counts of 2,500–2,800 tires in a 40ft container and wondered how that is physically possible, the answer is that used tires are not loaded loose. They are pushed inside each other. The trade calls it doubling, tripling and 4-in-1. What the terms mean 2-in-1 (doubling): one tire pushed inside another 3-in-1 (tripling): three nested together 4-in-1: a fourth added where the size mix allows it We usually load tripling, or a fourth, depending on the sizes in the order. It is standard practice in used tire export, and it is how the piece counts we quote are achieved. Why it matters to your cost Sea

Japanese used tires do not go to one market. We ship to buyers across five regions, and what sells well differs sharply between them — which is worth knowing before you decide what to put in your first container. Where our containers go USA Central and South America Central and South Asia Middle East Africa Those are the regions we actively supply. If your market is not on the list, ask — the constraint is usually your own import rules rather than our ability to ship there. Check your import rules first Used tire import is regulated differently in every country, and the rules change. Before you order, confirm on