General goods (apparel, furniture, tools…) The Japanese buyer / distributor imports
Rules verified as of 2026-08-08 · reviewed quarterly (next review: November 2026)
No product-approval regime — the work is customs classification, duty/JCT and retail labeling. Watch washing-instruction labels for textiles.
Which regimes apply
Household Goods Quality Labeling Act (家庭用品品質表示法)
Textiles, plastics and certain household goods must carry the prescribed Japanese quality labels at retail (fiber composition, care symbols, handling notes). This is a labeling duty at the point of sale, not an import barrier.
- Prepare Japanese quality/care labels before retail sale
- Textiles: fiber composition + JIS care symbols + handler name
Customs: duty, consumption tax and the importer of record
Every commercial import needs an importer of record with post-release disposal authority, correct HS classification, duty and 10% consumption tax. A non-resident importer files through an Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP, 税関事務管理人) and needs a tax agent for JCT recovery.
- Classify the product (HS code) and check the duty rate
- Convert values with the official customs FX rate
- Non-residents: appoint ACP (form C-7500) before the first declaration
Who can be the importer — verdict
Your Japanese buyer is the importer of record and carries the product-regime duties (notifications, marks, records). Your job as the seller is to supply the documentation that lets them comply: technical files, certificates, materials lists, test reports. Price accordingly (usually FOB/CIF, not DDP).
Your checklist
- Agree Incoterms where the buyer clears customs (FOB/CIF, not DDP)
- Deliver the compliance documentation pack for the regimes above
- Confirm the buyer's notifications/licenses exist before shipping
- [Household Goods Quality Labeling Act (家庭用品品質表示法)] Prepare Japanese quality/care labels before retail sale
- [Household Goods Quality Labeling Act (家庭用品品質表示法)] Textiles: fiber composition + JIS care symbols + handler name
- [Customs: duty, consumption tax and the importer of record] Classify the product (HS code) and check the duty rate
- [Customs: duty, consumption tax and the importer of record] Convert values with the official customs FX rate
- [Customs: duty, consumption tax and the importer of record] Non-residents: appoint ACP (form C-7500) before the first declaration