Effective April 1, 2024, we will be revising the storage fee to import shipments customs-cleared in Japan on or after April 1, 2024, as shown in the table below.

*Working days - Weekdays excluding Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays.

**The charge applies to the duty and taxpayer. If the payer is not specified on the Air waybill, the importer will be billed.

For more details, please refer to Q&A.

Federal Express Japan does NOT allow the import of the following items.

✔ Weapons, swords and knives (single-edged 15 cm or more or double-edged 5.5 cm or more)

✔ Narcotics and psychotropic drugs (Cannabidiol (CBD), Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC))

✔ Counterfeit goods (counterfeit products) with intellectual property rights and trademark rights

✔ Electronic cigarettes, cigarettes and tobacco products

✔ Perishable foodstuffs and foods and beverages requiring refrigeration or other environmental control.

✔ Live animals including insects

✔ Cash and collection coins/bills/stamps

✔ Unaccompanied baggage

For a comprehensive list of prohibited items, please refer to our Standard Conditions of Carriage - Prohibited items and the prohibited items in our Import Clearance Guidelines. You may also check for items that are "import prohibited" under the Customs Law on the Customs website.

With the increase in demand for international e-commerce business (cross-border EC), the amount of cargo imported to individuals from overseas is increasing each year.

Please comply with the following points to ensure a smooth import customs clearance in Japan.

• ✔ When purchasing a product on an e-commerce site, etc., correctly enter the first and last name, address and telephone (mobile) number in the delivery address (importer) field.
• ✔ For personal cargo destined for a company, specify that it is for "Personal Use".

When non-residents import cargo to a fulfillment center in Japan (i.e., there is no import transaction stipulated in Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Customs Tariff Law), please note the following points.

• ✔  Appoint an Attorney for Customs Procedure (ACP) in Japan who will carry out the customs procedures and notify Customs in advance.
• ✔  Make sure the declared value on the commercial invoice represents the fair-market selling price (the price on the e-commerce site).

Please note that the cargo may be returned at the shipper's expe nse without prior notice in the event of incomplete declaration documents.

When applying the preferential tariff rate of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for goods with a total taxable value that exceeds 200,000 yen in one declaration (i.e. high value), the Certificate of Origin (original form) or "Statement of Origin" must be submitted to FedEx before the import declaration is completed.

There is a procedure called "third-party certification system" based on the certificate of origin issued by the competent authority of the exporting country and a procedure called "self-declaration system" in which the importer or exporter (manufacturer) proves that the imported cargo is their own product with a declaration form (statement of origin) created.

For detailed requirements, please check the Japan Customs Homepage "Rules of Origin".

Please prepare the necessary documents prior to shipping.

Washington Convention: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

When importing cargo subject to the Washington Convention to Japan, the original CITES certificate issued by the exporting country control authority must be attached to the cargo and sent to Japan. Also, depending on the species to be regulated, the importer may need to apply to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Please refer to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry website: Washington Convention for regulated cargo and approval procedures. Please prepare the necessary documents in advance of shipping.

Unless otherwise specified, FedEx Japan does not offer any tax exemptions, tax reductions or refunds for the following commodities.

• ✔ Re-export or abandonment of non-conforming goods, etc. (Article 20 of the Customs Tariff Law)
• ✔ Re-import tax exemption Article 14-10 of the Customs Tariff Law (Commodities that do not have a serial number on the actual item: Clothing, jewelry, pearls, fine arts, etc.)
• ✔ At the time of export, inspection of re-importing goods for duty exemption at Customs
• ✔ Exhibition (Carnet) Cargo

*If the importer or Customs requests us to confirm the contents of the cargo for tax exemption, an Ancillary Clearance Service. (e.g. content inspection) can be offered for a fee.

FedEx Japan offers Ancillary Clearance Service for cargo that requires special customs clearance procedures. 

For more information, please visit our Ancillary Clearance Service Fees page.

*URL: https://www.fedex.com/en-jp/ancillary-clearance-service.html

FedEx provides "SMS (*1) to send important notices required for customs declaration in Japan to the customer's mobile phone number (*2). If you receive, an SMS from us please reply using our contact information provided in the message.

One of the following numbers will be displayed as the sender's number.

• 0476331008
• 0724340081
• 0032069000 (to SoftBank mobile phones)

* 1 SMS incoming message fee is free
* 2 The customer's mobile phone number entered on the air waybill by the shipper.

Effective October 6, 2024, we will introduce the “Export Manifest Customs Clearance Declaration” for low value shipments with a declared value of less than 201,000 yen. The “Export Manifest Customs Clearance Declaration” will use the FOB price as the declared export price. Please note that if the FOB price is not specified in a shipment’s air waybill and commercial invoice, the declaration will be made at the converted price.

Any person living abroad who needs to conduct customs clearance procedures such as export declarations or other customs-related matters, including receiving notices from Japan Customs, must designate another person who currently resides in Japan as their Customs Procedure Agent. The person living abroad must notify the Japan Customs office, where the customs procedure is to be conducted, of this arrangement in advance. To learn more, you may refer to the FAQ from Japan Customs: 9601 Customs Clearance Procedures for Persons Living Abroad (Customs Procedure Agent) (FAQ) : Japan Customs

If you’re a business outside Canada exporting commercial goods into Canada and responsible for the payment of any duties and taxes as the Importer of Record (IOR), it’s important to take the necessary steps now to help prevent your FedEx Express shipments from being delayed at the border when CARM is fully implemented.

Please click here to learn more.

To understand our export (transport) prohibited items, please refer to our Standard Conditions of Carriage - Prohibited items

*URL: https://fedex.com/en-jp/conditions-of-carriage.html