$170 tariff is way better than a $170 tax. I think
poor Elon Musk thanks you for your contribution to the reduction of our trillions deficit
Review of online parts from Japan?
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poor Elon Musk thanks you for your contribution to the reduction of our trillions deficit
What you paid wasn't a tariff, it was an import duty. The duty schedules (HTS) are published for every single import item and are available from US Customs and Border Protection. It's your job to know what you're buying and what it costs, when you buy from a seller overseas. This is hidden if you buy through a third party seller, like Amazon or WalMart, but when you buy directly you have to do the same thign they do: pay the tax.
Sometimes, it's hidden in the shipping costs from the shipper, sometimes not. It depends on the shipper and how much the duty value is, as a percentage of the total shipping (item value) cost. If that number is above a set value, the shipper wants it paid prior to customs clearance.
...and it had nothing whatsoever to do with any particular person, the rates are calculated based on the item and its declared value.
I have bought several items from Impex with good results. Parts arrive well packaged and with no issues. Impex operates a little differently than PartSouq and is typically cheaper than PartSouq, sometimes much cheaper. Impex is much slower because they order your parts from the supplier only after you place your order and pay for them. It can take a couple of weeks or more for them to receive the parts you ordered from the supplier. I use the PartSouq and Toyota websites to search for and confirm part numbers before ordering with Impex, as Impex's website is not easy to use in that regard and many times the part description is in Japanese, requiring another step with Google translate.
You can make an inquiry with Impex before making a payment and ask them to check availability of a part that their site lists as available (I have done this a couple of times when I was pretty sure the part was NLA despite the Impex site listing a price for it). If you pay and then a part is not available, they will credit the cost of the NLA item to your account. I am not sure whether they will issue a refund beyond an account credit. I haven't asked. I used my credit to apply to shipping costs, which you don't pay until they have your parts in stock and they make a package for those in stock items at your request.
Re tariffs, I recently got dinged on an order for my son's truck - the US charged the 10% tariff and then added a couple of fees, resulting in a total charge of nearly 20% for tariff plus the fees. The US is clearly trying to maximize tariff receipts. They also only gave me a very short window to make the tariff payment or they would send the shipment back, which would mean paying for shipping again. Impex does not give refunds or allow cancelations of part orders that you have paid for (unless a part is NLA), because they place an order with the supplier for the parts you order from Impex.
If you keep your the value of the parts in any package under $800, there is no tariff, at least for now. I have heard the US may eliminate the tariff exception for orders under $800. With Impex, an order is not the same as a package for shipment. IMEX allows you to choose what's in each package once they have your items in stock, so you can control the value of each package that is shipped. If you place multiple orders with them, you can wait until several orders are in stock with Impex before making one or more packages for shipment. For my son's item mentioned above, it was over the $800 limit. Impex has stopped using Fed Ex for shipping due to issues with customs and tariffs, leaving only DHL and the Express Mail Service (EMS) of the Japanese postal service, the later of which is always very expensive. So, you're really limited to DHL, which is a bit more expensive than Fed Ex used to be. I'm not sure why Fed Ex is more problematic that DHL.
Tariffs are a type of duty. All tariffs are a duty, but not all duties are tariffs. Duties can include fees.
No idea.
Haven't had a vehicle with a carburetor for >30 years.
This is all good and well.
What you don’t explain is that none of these companies have stock of anything. None of them do.
They all get an order (online order from
Fücking Timbuktu) and order that said part from their local Toyota dealership authorized to sell factory Toyota service parts.
Every single company or person you deal with that sources parts outside of the US is merely a middle man for some other entity that is **authorized** to sell Toyota spare parts.
Unlike the US Toyota service parts system, the GCC/Oceania/SouthEast Asia and Japan operate on distributorship systems.
In the US, there are only two distributorships left extant: SET: SouthEast Toyota and GST: Gulf States Toyota:
Both of those entities have very discrete part pricing schemes in place that mirror TMNA (Toyota Motor North America) protocols mainly to maintain consistent public perception of service parts MSRP.
The companies you source your parts from outside of the US: They operate outside of ownership by TMC and are able to negotiate their own information system agreements (IE: inventory visibility/stock/days to fill part number from zero) as well as the obvious pricing and currency advantages certain regions have vs. US dollar.
Shipping costs are always negotiated locally based on volume: Nothing more, nothing less.
IMPEX is literally 3 dudes in a garage.
But more power to them to figure out perception. Same with a lot of these outfits.
None of them have any more information or access than anyone else.
The only people who really know are people who have access to the global Toyota parts master database. And only a few people have that access. And that database is Japan-based.
Thanks, Beno. Very good information. It makes sense that Impex and others don’t have parts in stock as they sell a vast selection of parts from many manufacturers. Carrying inventory would be cost prohibitive for them not to mention simply impossible for 3 guys in a garage.
Given that, I’ve never understood how PartSouq ships parts so much quicker than its competitors. PartSouq typically ships in a 2-3 days, while Impex and others take weeks while waiting for the parts to arrive from the suppliers. PartSouq even offers express processing for many parts now, for an extra cost of course.
Given that, I’ve never understood how PartSouq ships parts so much quicker than its competitors. PartSouq typically ships in a 2-3 days, while Impex and others take weeks while waiting for the parts to arrive from the suppliers. PartSouq even offers express processing for many parts now, for an extra cost of course.
Thank you for the information on the Tariffs, especially the $800. I have purchased from Impex before with good success, as you stated, slow, but everything went smooth, but that was a while ago.
3 dudes in a garage, ha! Well, I guess that keeps overhead lowThis is all good and well.
What you don’t explain is that none of these companies have stock of anything. None of them do.
They all get an order (online order from
Fücking Timbuktu) and order that said part from their local Toyota dealership authorized to sell factory Toyota service parts.
Every single company or person you deal with that sources parts outside of the US is merely a middle man for some other entity that is **authorized** to sell Toyota spare parts.
Unlike the US Toyota service parts system, the GCC/Oceania/SouthEast Asia and Japan operate on distributorship systems.
In the US, there are only two distributorships left extant: SET: SouthEast Toyota and GST: Gulf States Toyota:
Both of those entities have very discrete part pricing schemes in place that mirror TMNA (Toyota Motor North America) protocols mainly to maintain consistent public perception of service parts MSRP.
The companies you source your parts from outside of the US: They operate outside of ownership by TMC and are able to negotiate their own information system agreements (IE: inventory visibility/stock/days to fill part number from zero) as well as the obvious pricing and currency advantages certain regions have vs. US dollar.
Shipping costs are always negotiated locally based on volume: Nothing more, nothing less.
IMPEX is literally 3 dudes in a garage.
But more power to them to figure out perception. Same with a lot of these outfits.
None of them have any more information or access than anyone else.
The only people who really know are people who have access to the global Toyota parts master database. And only a few people have that access. And that database is Japan-based.
That would explain why my parts were packed the way they were.IMPEX is literally 3 dudes in a garage.
Depends upon where you are buying from. As I understand it, goods from Japan still benefit from the $800 de minimis exemption.
Stating this in a non-political way: the de minimis exemption was removed for goods from China and Hong Kong in February of this year. This goes into effect May 2nd.
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Closes De Minimis Exemptions to Combat China’s Role in America’s Synthetic Opioid Crisis
CLOSING LOOPHOLES IN THE TARIFF SYSTEM: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order eliminating duty-free de minimis treatment for
www.whitehouse.gov
Partsouq guys are very smart. They are software guys that sell auto parts. They are also Toyota guys which helps us, of course.
I met them and had dinner with them when I was in DXB in 2022. Again, no stock. They are able to negotiate relationships for JIT logistics which helps them do what they do. The entire company is maybe 15 people max.
All they have is a shipping warehouse with a group of Filipinos who pack boxes and ship. They also have a pretty cool professional picture studio where they take pictures of most everything that gets shipped out.
They are able to negotiate pricing and information sharing because of the exact Toyota distributorship system I mentioned earlier. US Toyota parts departments do this to varying degrees through 3rd party outfits like Toyotapartsdeal.com and others. Unfortunately, the level of integration sophistication is the US, as always, is quite far behind non-US parts sellers.
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One of the three Impex dudes is "Tatiana" and "Dave" at 4x4 isn't even remotely Dave!
The Japanese service at Impex and 4x4 is **GREAT** whoever is really behind the curtain! My local parts counter guys have always been nice but more and more can't / won't access parts for my 94, and when they can the price is honestly 3x plus that of OUQ or Impex or 4x4. Living near Denver airport shipping from Japan is literally days too.
IMO knowing how to source trustworthy OEM parts reliably is a MUST for 80 ownership at this point.
The Japanese service at Impex and 4x4 is **GREAT** whoever is really behind the curtain! My local parts counter guys have always been nice but more and more can't / won't access parts for my 94, and when they can the price is honestly 3x plus that of OUQ or Impex or 4x4. Living near Denver airport shipping from Japan is literally days too.
IMO knowing how to source trustworthy OEM parts reliably is a MUST for 80 ownership at this point.
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I prefer to buy from the local dealers generally, more expensive but easier and faster. For some parts though, the price differences are just comical.
One recent example for the fender flare gaskets: Local dealer 90$/pcs, Amayama 14$/pcs
One recent example for the fender flare gaskets: Local dealer 90$/pcs, Amayama 14$/pcs
The steering box delta was $2,000!!
Like my old foreman on the farm used to tell me, I don't mind being a little screwed by the company but just don't make it a royal f&*$.
This situation certainly doesn’t help now.
www.bbc.com
Trump tariffs: DHL suspends high value US deliveries
The postal giant will stop shipping packages to American consumers after a rise in red tape at customs.
www.bbc.com
Ugh, this kills any chance of me getting a new steering box at a reasonable price anytime soonThis situation certainly doesn’t help now.
Trump tariffs: DHL suspends high value US deliveries
The postal giant will stop shipping packages to American consumers after a rise in red tape at customs.
It all so mind numbing.