Through the years, Zimbabwe has seen an increasing demand for Japanese used cars. Many people find the benefit of getting pre-owned vehicles that are still in good shape and condition. After all, they are more affordable than brand-new cars. If you are planning to import a used vehicle to Zimbabwe, it is essential for you to know the regulations, taxes, duties and fees. This ensures that your transactions will be hassle-free and transparent.

In some African countries, the government imposes age restrictions for importing pre-owned vehicles. However, this is not the case with Zimbabwe. You can purchase a used Mitsubishi Fighter truck from Japan, no matter how old it is. However, you have to pay for certain fees, depending on the age of the vehicle. Several factors affect the costs of taxes, duties, and fees. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming to compute the amount on your own. This is why we recommend seeking the assistance of the experts at Carused.jp.

On the other hand, it will also help if you conduct your own research regarding the car import rules and regulations in Zimbabwe. This way, you will have a good estimate of the amount you need to pay. Moreover, you wouldn’t encounter unpleasant surprises along the way. So, if you are planning to purchase a used Mitsubishi Fighter truck from Japan or any other pre-owned vehicle, we recommend reading through this article first.

Defining Terms:

FOB (Free on Board) – This is the upfront cost of the imported car before transport, insurance, and inspection fees are added.

CIF (Cost, Insurance, Freight) – This is the FOB amount added to the freight, inspection, and insurance fees.

The cost of duties is calculated based on the CIF of the vehicle and other incidental expenses and charges it incurred from its subsequent transportation to its first point of entry into Zimbabwe.

How to Calculate Car Import Taxes, Duties, and Fees in Zimbabwe

Disclaimer: The figures illustrated in this article do not necessarily represent the actual cost of the vehicle on our listing. Please visit our website to see the accurate prices of the used Japanese cars in our catalog.

Computing the overall cost of the vehicle you wish to import to Zimbabwe can be a daunting task, especially when you do not have all the information you need. As such, we’ve put together this step-by-step guide to help you get a good estimate of the amount you need to pay.

Step 1: Collect the Vehicle’s Information

First of all, you have to go to our online catalog and select a car model and make. Once you’ve chosen a vehicle from our listing, you must take note of the necessary information, including the following:

• Car brand:
• Car model:
• Engine capacity:
• Registration year:
• Model code:
• Fuel type:
• FOB:

Let’s say you’re looking for a used Mitsubishi Fighter truck from Japan. So, you click a 1999 MT Mitsubishi Fuso Fighter FK629J on our listing. You will be redirected to a page where you can see the specifications of the vehicle. Now, you must write down the details:

• Car brand: Mitsubishi
• Car model: Fuso Fighter
• Engine capacity: 8,200 CC
• Registration year: 1999/8
• Model code: FK629J
• Fuel type: Diesel
• FOB: 10,440 USD

Step 2: Get the CIF of the Vehicle

Once you’ve collected the necessary data on the truck, you must get its CIF. You can do this by selecting a country of destination and port of delivery. When importing a used car in Zimbabwe, you can have the vehicle shipped to Dar Es Salaam or Durban. Let’s say you chose Dar Es Salaam and you included the inspection and insurance fees. The CIF of your truck will be 14,247 USD.

Step 3: Convert the Amount

When you shop for used vehicles online, you will discover that the prices are mostly advertised in US dollars (USD). It is important to remember that the exchange rate is dynamic. So, it is best to go to Google and search for the current USD to ZWD (Zimbabwean dollars) conversion rate.

It is likely that you will make your payments and transactions through your local bank. So, instead of depending on ballpark figures, you can ask for the accurate exchange rate from your local bank representative.

Now, let’s go back to our example. Let us assume that 1 USD is equal to 362 ZWD. So, the CIF worth 10,440 USD will be 3,799,280 ZWD.

Step 4: Calculate the Taxes, Duties, and Fees

Used vehicles imported to Zimbabwe are subject to customs duty, surtax, and value added tax (VAT). Keep in mind that passenger-type vehicles that are older than five years are the only ones charged with a 35% surtax. Moreover, the customs duty and surtax are computed on the value for duty purposes (VDP), which is the sum of the CIF and other miscellaneous charges. Meanwhile, the VAT is computed on the sum of the VDP and the customs duty payable. This amount is referred to as the value for tax purposes (VTP).

Here is an illustration of how the taxes are computed:

Sedan/Station Wagon

• Duty: 40% of the VDP
• Surtax: 35% of the VDP (applicable to vehicles older than five years)
• VAT: 15% of the VTP

Other charges

• Cars older than five years with an engine capacity of 1495 CC to 1799 CC: 1,200 USD
• Cars older than five years with an engine capacity of 1800 CC to 2999 CC: 900 USD
• Cars younger than five years with an engine capacity of 3000 CC and above: 600 USD

Trucks
Payload of up to 800 kg

• Duty: 25% of the VDP
• VAT: 15% of the VTP
• Other charges: 1,000 USD

Payload of 801 kg to 1400 kg

• Duty: 40% of the VDP
• VAT: 15% of the VTP
• Other charges: 1,200 USD

Payload higher than 1400 kg, but with vehicle mass of less than 5 tons

• Duty: 60% of the VDP
• VAT: 15% of the VTP
• Other charges: 1,500 USD

Double Cab

• Duty: 60% of the VDP
• VAT: 15% of the VTP
• Other charges: 1,500 USD

Let us go back to our example. Your used Mitsubishi Fighter truck from Japan will fall under trucks with payload higher than 1400 kg. So, we’re going to add the CIF to the other charges to get the VDP:

14,247 USD (CIF) + 1,500 USD (Other Charges) = 15,747 USD (VDP)

Now that we have the VDP, we can now calculate the customs duty:
60/100 x 15,747 USD = 9,448.20 USD

After that, we will compute the VAT:
15/100 x 9,448.20 USD (Duty) + 15,747 USD (VDP) = 3,779.28 USD

Now, the total amount payable would be:
9,448.20 USD (Duty) + 3,779.28 USD (VAT) = 13,227.48 USD

Finally, to determine your overall expenditure, you must add the duty and taxes to the CIF:
13,227.48 USD (Duties and Taxes) + 14,247 USD (CIF) = 27,474.48 USD