We export Japanese used tires by the full container to West Africa. This page gathers what a buyer in Guinea needs before a first order.

Discharge portsConakry
PCR per 40ft3,50012–17 inch, 2-in-1 or 3-in-1
TBR per 40ft28811R22.5, single size
Loading ports in Japan13Ishikari to Moji

We found no permit or certification scheme specific to used tires in Guinea. The ban people have heard about applies to vehicles over thirteen years old, not to tires.

Import rules

Tires do not appear on the prohibited or restricted lists recorded by the US Department of Commerce either. Two things come up often and are worth separating:

  • The ban covers vehicles, not tires. Since July 2021 the import of used vehicles over thirteen years old has been prohibited. That measure does not concern tires.
  • The reported seizure of 26 tonnes of tires from France was a matter of French waste export regulation. It is not a Guinean import rule.

Clearance goes through the GUCEG electronic single window. As everywhere, current customs practice can differ from the written text: confirm with your clearing agent in Conakry before you order.

The ocean route

Conakry handles roughly 90% of the country’s foreign trade and is the port to use for a tire import. Kamsar is dedicated to bauxite exports and plays a limited role for general cargo.

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We do not publish transit times, because they depend on the carrier and the routing on the day.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.

Sorted stock staged in the yard next to an outbound container, ready for loading.
Sorted stock staged in the yard next to an outbound container, ready for loading.
Ocean route map from Japan around the Cape of Good Hope to Conakry, Guinea

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.

Truck and bus tires loaded in a 40ft container before the doors are sealed.
Passenger car tires graded and stacked by size in the yard.
Rows of sorted stock ready for container loading.
Outbound containers coupled and ready to leave the yard.
Truck and bus tires loaded in a 40ft container before the doors are sealed.

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 Guinea

Is a special permit required?

We found no permit or certification scheme specific to used tires. Clearance goes through the GUCEG single window.

Does the thirteen-year vehicle ban apply to tires?

No. That measure, in force since July 2021, applies to used vehicles and not to tires.

I read that a shipment of tires was seized. Is that a Guinean rule?

The reported seizure involved 26 tonnes from France and falls under French waste export regulation. It is not a Guinean import restriction.

Which port should I use?

Conakry, which handles about 90% of foreign trade. Kamsar is reserved for bauxite.

What is the minimum order?

One 40ft container.

Request an offer for Guinea

Send us your discharge port, the sizes you want and the rough quantity. We reply with a CIF price and the loading schedule.

Request a quotation

How the buying process works — from the first enquiry through inspection, loading and documents.