We are a Japanese exporter shipping used tires by the container to West Africa. Côte d’Ivoire is also the region’s largest transit hub — a container landed in Abidjan can continue on to Mali or Burkina Faso, which we cover on their own pages.
San Pédro
We found no permit or certification scheme specific to used tires. The rule we could confirm concerns used vehicles, not tires: Decree 2017-792 limits vehicle imports to those registered within the past five years, which does not touch a standalone tire shipment. A claim of a general used tire import ban circulating on Facebook has no official announcement behind it that we could find, so we treat it as unconfirmed.
A hub for more than just Côte d’Ivoire
Abidjan is one of West Africa’s largest ports and a major transit point for landlocked Mali. San Pédro, the second port, also has an established tire trade. The UEMOA common external tariff applies; we could not confirm the exact duty band for HS 4012.20.
The ocean route
Abidjan is the main gateway and one of West Africa’s largest ports. San Pédro is the second option, on the coast further west.
We load from thirteen Japanese ports — Ishikari, Tomakomai, Hachinohe, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Kashiwazaki, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe and Moji. Which one we use depends on where the stock is collected, not on where you are.
We do not publish transit times, because they depend on the carrier and the routing on the day. Ask us when you enquire and we will give you the schedule we are actually being quoted.
What fits in a container
- Passenger car tires (PCR), 12–17 inch — about 3,500 pieces in a 40ft, loaded 2-in-1 or 3-in-1
- Truck and bus tires (TBR), 11R22.5 single size — 288 pieces in a 40ft
- Mixed PCR and light truck — roughly 2,200 PCR plus 500–550 LT pieces
Full size lists and grading are on the category pages: passenger car tires, truck & bus tires, light truck tires and casings for retreading.
Terms and payment
We quote CIF to your discharge port. Marine insurance is included on every shipment. Freight is normally prepaid in Japan; collect at your end can be arranged if that suits your bank better.
Most customers pay by T/T. For a yearly contract we also work with L/C at sight.
FAQ — importing used tires from Japan to Côte d’Ivoire
Is it legal to import used tires into Côte d’Ivoire?
We found no permit or certification scheme specific to used tires. A confirmed rule limits used vehicle imports to those registered within five years (Decree 2017-792), but that does not apply to a standalone tire shipment. An unofficial claim of a tire import ban circulates online with no announcement we could confirm behind it.
Abidjan or San Pédro?
Abidjan is the larger port and the usual choice, with strong onward links to landlocked Mali. San Pédro is the second option, useful depending on where your buyer is based.
What duty applies?
The UEMOA common external tariff applies to imports from outside the bloc; we could not confirm the specific rate for HS 4012.20. Ask your clearing agent for the current figure.
What is the minimum order?
One 40ft container.
Can I mix sizes and types in one container?
Yes. Tell us the sizes and roughly what share of each you want.
Request an offer for Côte d’Ivoire
Send us your discharge port, the sizes you want and the rough quantity. We reply with a CIF price and the loading schedule.
How the buying process works — from the first enquiry through inspection, loading and documents.
