This analysis highlights the most popular cars brands imported from Japan, then delves into the top countries that import Japanese cars by both dollar value and quantity, as well as the average unit prices paid by major international buyers to Japan’s exporters.
Japan has earned a reputation for excellence in quality automotive engineering and vehicle durability.
According to OPUMO magazine writer Philip G. Lane, Japan’s 10 best car brands are Subaru, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Lexus, Honda, Suzuki, Infiniti, Mitsubishi and Isuzu.
Top Spenders that Import Japanese Cars
Listed below are the 25 major importers of Japanese cars as measured by dollar spend. These leading buyers accounted for 86.3% of Japan’s total car sales on international markets.
- United States: US$35.8 billion (down -9.6% from 2024)
- Australia: $7.2 billion (down -11.2%)
- Canada: $5.97 billion (up 6.9%)
- mainland China: $5.95 billion (down -2.5%)
- Saudi Arabia: $4.1 billion (up 16.9%)
- United Arab Emirates: $3.7 billion (up 12.9%)
- United Kingdom: $2.7 billion (down -18.1%)
- Taiwan: $2.1 billion (down -1.2%)
- Germany: $2 billion (up 11.8%)
- Poland: $1.9 billion (up 4%)
- Mexico: $1.7 billion (up 10.2%)
- Belgium: $1.64 billion (up 29.8%)
- Kuwait: $1.6 billion (up 36.2%)
- Russia: $1.45 billion (up 3.6%)
- Spain: $1.39 billion (up 6.7%)
- Malaysia: $1.37 billion (up 6.1%)
- New Zealand: $1.1 billion (down -8.3%)
- Qatar: $1.02 billion (up 18.7%)
- Sri Lanka: $922.3 million (up 43,424%)
- Italy: $880.2 million (down -24.4%)
- South Korea: $877.7 million (up 2.4%)
- France: $794.7 million (down -17.3%)
- Oman: $709.2 million (up 5.6%)
- Pakistan: $699.7 million (up 35.5%)
- Mongolia: $691.1 million (down -17.1%)
Posting the strongest percentage growth in spending on imported Japanese cars were buyers in Sri Lanka (up 43,424% from 2024), Kuwait (up 36.2%), Pakistan (up 35.5%), Belgium (up 29.8%), Qatar (up 18.7%), Saudi Arabia (up 16.9%), United Arab Emirates (up 12.9%), Germany (up 11.8%) and Mexico (up 10.2%).
The severest year-over-year spending reductions belong to importers in the United Kingdom (down -18.1% from 2024), France (down -17.3%), Mongolia (down -17.1%), Netherlands (down -16.9%) and Australia (down -11.2%).
Major Countries that Import the Most Cars from Japan
Focusing on the quantity of imported Japanese cars rather than dollar value, below you will find the dominant 25 countries that bought the most cars. Also shown is each country’s percentage of total cars bought from Japan.
- United States: 1,377,095 cars (26.7% of globally imported Japanese cars)
- Australia: 321,738 cars (6.2%)
- United Arab Emirates: 311,607 cars (6%)
- Canada: 269,561 cars (5.2%)
- mainland China: 203,162 cars (3.9%)
- Russia: 186,582 cars (3.6%)
- Saudi Arabia: 168,808 cars (3.3%)
- United Kingdom: 121,865 cars (2.4%)
- New Zealand: 110,934 cars (2.2%)
- Tanzania: 105,302 cars (2%)
- Chile: 97,432 cars (1.9%)
- Pakistan: 94,882 cars (1.8%)
- Mexico: 81,622 cars (1.6%)
- Taiwan: 78,452 cars (1.5%)
- Germany: 75,687 cars (1.5%)
- Kenya: 70,655 cars (1.4%)
- Belgium: 70,514 cars (1.4%)
- Mongolia: 67,893 cars (1.3%)
- South Africa: 63,985 cars (1.2%)
- Poland: 61,832 cars (1.2%)
- Sri Lanka: 58,741 cars (1.1%)
- Spain: 50,422 cars (1%)
- Malaysia: 48,459 cars (0.9%)
- Kuwait: 46,652 cars (0.9%)
- Thailand: 42,615 cars (0.8%)
Collectively, the above 25 importers bought 4.225 million cars from Japan in 2025 or 82% of total imported Japanese cars by quantity.
Prices Paid per Imported Japanese Car by Country
The global average price for Japanese car imports was US$20,459 in 2025, inflating by 5.6% from $19,557 five years earlier in 2021 but retreating by -1.9% compared to $20,851 one year earlier for 2024.
The following list shows the average price paid per imported Japanese car for each of the 25 countries that spent the most on vehicles bought from Japan in 2025.
- United States: US$26,024 per car (down -9.2% from 2024)
- Australia: $22,514 per car (up 6.4%)
- Canada: $22,162 per car (down -7.1%)
- mainland China: $29,296 per car (down -4.6%)
- Saudi Arabia: $24,190 per car (up 11.8%)
- United Arab Emirates: $11,979 per car (up 5.5%)
- United Kingdom: $21,840 per car (down -8.5%)
- Taiwan: $26,856 per car (up 11.4%)
- Germany: $26,977 per car (up 18.1%)
- Poland: $30,143 per car (up 6.5%)
- Mexico: $20,432 per car (up 1.5%)
- Belgium: $23,214 per car (up 12%)
- Kuwait: $34,241 per car (up 3.2%)
- Russia: $7,755 per car (up 10.6%)
- Spain: $27,636 per car (up 7.6%)
- Malaysia: $28,254 per car (up 5.6%)
- New Zealand: $10,219 per car (up 0.2%)
- Qatar: $42,854 per car (up 8.1%)
- Sri Lanka: $15,701 per car (down -22.2%)
- Italy: $22,624 per car (up 7.3%)
- South Korea: $26,591 per car (up 14.4%)
- France: $27,831 per car (up 12.7%)
- Oman: $35,827 per car (up 9.4%)
- Pakistan: $7,374 per car (up 28.4%)
- Mongolia: $10,180 per car (up 34.2%)
Paying the highest average prices per imported Japanese car were buyers in Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Poland and mainland China.
The lowest average unit prices among the listed countries were enjoyed by importers in Pakistan, Russia, Mongolia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.
Enduring the greatest inflation for cars imported from Japan were buyers in Mongolia (up 34.2% from 2024), Pakistan (up 28.4%), Germany (up 18.1%), South Korea (up 14.4%), France (up 12.7%) then Belgium (up 12%).
Average prices paid by Japanese car importers deflated for customers located in Sri Lanka (down -22.2% from 2024), United States of America (down -9.2%), United Kingdom (down -8.5%), Canada (down -7.1%) and mainland China (down -4.6%).
See also Japan’s Top 10 Exports, Car Exports by Country, Truck Exports by Country and Automotive Parts Exports by Country
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on September 25, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on September 25, 2026
Philip G. Lane for OPUMO magazine, Great Eastern: 10 best Japanese car brands. Accessed on September 25, 2026
Wikipedia, Automotive Industry in Japan. Accessed on September 25, 2026