What 20 Years of Exporting Japanese Used Vehicles to 100+ Countries Taught Me

When I look back on 20 years of exporting vehicles from Japan, the biggest lessons are not about one particular model, one country, or even one successful sale.

They are about people.

Since starting our company in Japan in 2006, I have had the opportunity to work with customers in more than 100 countries. During that time, markets have changed, shipping has changed, technology has changed, and the way customers buy vehicles has changed completely.

But one thing has remained constant: international business only continues when there is trust.

I am Yuichiro Watabe, President and CEO of EVERY TRADING Co., Ltd. In this article, I would like to share some of the most important things that more than 20 years in the Japanese used vehicle export business have taught me.

Lesson 1: Every Country Is Different

One of the first things international business teaches you is that there is no single “global customer.”

A customer buying a Japanese used truck in one country may have completely different priorities from a customer buying the same model somewhere else.

Road conditions are different. Import regulations are different. Fuel, spare parts, mechanics, shipping routes, taxes, business conditions, and customer expectations are different.

Even when two customers ask for the same vehicle, the right specification may not be the same.

This is why I believe an exporter should ask more than, “What model are you looking for?”

We need to understand where the vehicle will operate and what the customer actually needs it to do.

That experience is especially important today as EVERY focuses on Japanese working vehicles such as trucks, buses, farm tractors, and machinery.

Customers looking for commercial vehicles can compare our current Japanese Used Trucks for Sale.

Lesson 2: The Cheapest Vehicle Is Not Always the Best Purchase

Price will always be important.

I understand that. Every customer has a budget, and businesses need to control costs.

But after many years in this industry, I have learned to separate cheap price from good value.

A vehicle can have a low purchase price but still become expensive if it does not match the intended work, requires unexpected repairs, is difficult to maintain locally, or creates additional costs after import.

At the same time, the most expensive vehicle is not automatically the best choice.

Good value comes from balance.

The vehicle, condition, specification, price, maintenance environment, shipping cost, and intended use all need to make sense together.

For me, the better question is not simply, “How cheap is this vehicle?”

It is, “Will this vehicle create value for the customer after it arrives?”

Lesson 3: A Vehicle Is Often More Than a Vehicle

Over the years, I have come to see commercial vehicles differently.

A truck may look like a product in a stock list, but for the customer it may be an important business asset.

A bus may support passenger transportation. A farm tractor may support agricultural production. Machinery may be needed for construction or infrastructure work.

The customer is not necessarily buying a machine simply because they like it.

They may be buying something that needs to earn money, support employees, move products, help a farm, or contribute to a local community.

That changes our responsibility as an exporter.

We should not think only about selling the unit. We should think about what happens after that unit reaches the customer.

Lesson 4: Good Information Prevents Bad Decisions

International buyers usually cannot stand beside the vehicle in Japan before making a decision.

They depend on information.

That makes accuracy extremely important.

Photos, mileage, model code, engine model, body type, dimensions, drivetrain, transmission, condition information, and other available details can all affect a buying decision.

If an important point is unclear, my advice is simple: ask.

A question before payment is much easier to deal with than a misunderstanding after shipment.

Technology has made it possible to share information faster than ever, but speed should never replace accuracy.

We need both.

Lesson 5: Shipping Is Part of the Customer Experience

A successful transaction does not finish when payment is received.

For the customer, an important period actually begins at that point.

The vehicle still needs to move through export procedures, vessel booking, documentation, departure from Japan, arrival at the destination, and local clearance.

During this period, customers naturally want information.

Has the vehicle been booked?

What is the vessel schedule?

What documents will I receive?

What should I prepare before arrival?

After more than 20 years, I have learned that customers remember how they were treated during this stage.

Clear communication after payment is just as important as communication before the sale.

First-time buyers can review our How to Buy from Japan guide for an overview of the purchasing and export process.

Lesson 6: Problems Show the Real Character of a Company

International trading does not always go exactly according to plan.

Shipping schedules can change. Markets can change. Regulations can change. Unexpected situations happen.

I do not believe the strength of a company should be judged only when everything is going smoothly.

The more important question is: what does the company do when something becomes difficult?

Does someone respond?

Does the company explain the situation honestly?

Does it take action?

Does communication continue?

Over the years, I have learned that these moments can have a major effect on trust.

Customers do not expect the world to be perfect. But they need to know that someone is taking responsibility for the transaction.

Lesson 7: Speed Matters Because the Customer's Time Matters

Today, international business moves much faster than it did in 2006.

Vehicle availability changes quickly. Auction opportunities disappear. Shipping schedules move. Customers can compare vehicles and exporters around the world within minutes.

That is why speed has become one of the values we emphasize at EVERY.

But when I say speed, I do not mean rushing.

I mean respecting the customer's time.

Respond quickly. Check quickly. Communicate quickly. Take action quickly.

And at the same time, remain professional and accurate.

Speed without professionalism can create mistakes. Professionalism without action can become too slow.

We need both to build trust.

Lesson 8: Technology Changes, but Human Trust Does Not

The tools we use today would have been difficult to imagine when we started in 2006.

Customers can now search thousands of vehicles online, communicate instantly across countries, watch vehicle videos, translate information, and use AI to research purchasing decisions.

At EVERY, we are also using technology and AI to improve the speed and quality of our work.

But there is something I do not want us to forget.

Technology can make communication faster, but technology itself does not create a long-term relationship.

People do.

Someone still needs to understand the customer's situation. Someone needs to make a judgment. Someone needs to answer the difficult question. Someone needs to take action when a problem occurs.

For me, the future of international trading is not AI instead of people.

It is technology helping people provide better service.

Lesson 9: One Transaction Can Become a Long-Term Partnership

Some of the relationships I value most did not begin as large transactions.

They began with one inquiry, one vehicle, or one opportunity to help a customer.

When that first transaction goes well, something changes.

The customer understands how we work. We understand more about the customer's market and business. Communication becomes easier.

Then the next transaction can become better.

Over time, buyer and exporter stop thinking only about one vehicle and begin thinking about the relationship.

This is why I have never wanted EVERY to become a company focused only on one-time sales.

Long-term partnerships are much more valuable.

What 100+ Countries Have Really Taught Me

Working across more than 100 countries does not mean we know everything about every market.

In fact, international experience teaches the opposite.

It teaches you to keep asking questions.

Listen to the customer.

Understand the country.

Check the vehicle.

Confirm the regulations.

Do not assume that what worked in one market will automatically work in another.

Experience should not make us stop learning.

It should help us understand what we still need to check.

20 Years Is a Foundation, Not a Finish Line

EVERY TRADING was established in 2006. Reaching more than 20 years in business is something I am grateful for, but I do not see it as a finish line.

The vehicle export industry will continue changing.

Customer expectations will rise. Technology will develop. Regulations and logistics will evolve. New markets and new opportunities will appear.

Our responsibility is to keep improving with those changes without losing the principles that allowed us to continue this far.

For me, that foundation is trust.

Right Vehicle. Right Value. Right Support.

After more than 20 years, I cannot reduce everything I have learned to one rule.

But I can reduce our responsibility to three ideas:

Right Vehicle. Right Value. Right Support.

The Right Vehicle means understanding the customer's actual work, country, and operating conditions—not simply selling what is available.

The Right Value means looking beyond the cheapest price and considering what the vehicle can actually contribute after it arrives.

The Right Support means communicating clearly, acting quickly, and remaining responsible throughout the international transaction.

Twenty years and more than 100 countries have taught me that vehicles may start the business relationship, but trust is what allows that relationship to continue.

That is the kind of company I want EVERY to continue becoming.

Yuichiro Watabe
President & CEO
EVERY TRADING Co., Ltd.