Quick Takeaways
- Japan MLIT US-made vehicle safety checks highlight Japan’s plan to monitor imported US passenger vehicles approved without local testing.
- The move follows a bilateral agreement allowing US-certified vehicles on Japanese roads under revised safety standards.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan has announced plans to conduct spot checks on vehicles taken from the market to verify the safety and environmental performance of imported US-made passenger vehicles. These vehicles are currently approved to operate on public roads in Japan without undergoing additional domestic testing.
The decision follows a bilateral agreement between the Japanese and US governments reached in July 2025. Under this agreement, Japan agreed to accept passenger vehicles manufactured and certified for safety in the United States without requiring further testing under Japan’s existing approval framework.
To implement the agreement, MLIT will revise Japan’s Safety Standards of the Road Transportation Vehicles by the end of January. The revision is intended to align regulatory procedures while allowing specific exemptions for US-certified passenger vehicles entering the Japanese market.
Japan and the United States currently operate under different vehicle certification systems. As a result, importing US-certified vehicles into Japan has traditionally required multiple approvals, including obtaining Japan’s national vehicle type designation before such vehicles could be sold or driven on public roads.
Under the revised framework, Japan will exempt only US-made passenger vehicles from certification testing requirements. However, concerns have been raised regarding whether vehicles approved solely under US standards consistently meet Japan’s safety and environmental performance expectations.
To address these concerns, Japan MLIT US-made vehicle safety checks will be conducted through random testing of imported passenger vehicles already available in the market. These spot checks are intended to confirm compliance and provide assurance that exempted vehicles continue to meet required safety and environmental benchmarks after entering circulation.
This approach allows Japan to uphold regulatory oversight while honoring the US-Japan agreement, ensuring that imported US-made passenger vehicles approved without additional testing do not compromise road safety or environmental standards in the domestic market.
The decision follows a bilateral agreement between the Japanese and US governments reached in July 2025. Under this agreement, Japan agreed to accept passenger vehicles manufactured and certified for safety in the United States without requiring further testing under Japan’s existing approval framework.
To implement the agreement, MLIT will revise Japan’s Safety Standards of the Road Transportation Vehicles by the end of January. The revision is intended to align regulatory procedures while allowing specific exemptions for US-certified passenger vehicles entering the Japanese market.
Japan and the United States currently operate under different vehicle certification systems. As a result, importing US-certified vehicles into Japan has traditionally required multiple approvals, including obtaining Japan’s national vehicle type designation before such vehicles could be sold or driven on public roads.
Under the revised framework, Japan will exempt only US-made passenger vehicles from certification testing requirements. However, concerns have been raised regarding whether vehicles approved solely under US standards consistently meet Japan’s safety and environmental performance expectations.
To address these concerns, Japan MLIT US-made vehicle safety checks will be conducted through random testing of imported passenger vehicles already available in the market. These spot checks are intended to confirm compliance and provide assurance that exempted vehicles continue to meet required safety and environmental benchmarks after entering circulation.
This approach allows Japan to uphold regulatory oversight while honoring the US-Japan agreement, ensuring that imported US-made passenger vehicles approved without additional testing do not compromise road safety or environmental standards in the domestic market.
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