Import a Mitsubishi Fuso Canter from Japan to Tanzania
The Canter is a 2 – 3 tonne light truck, sold in Japan with flat, tipper, crane and box bodies. Here is what is in stock in Japan, what exporters ask and the tax questions to settle with your clearing agent.
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Updated 7 November 2026
Why the Canter sells in Tanzania
A Japanese exporter ranks the Canter among the trucks Tanzanian buyers like most and says it is a favourite because it is practical and economical, with parts that are cheap and common throughout the country. That is the exporter's view, not a sales figure.
Tanzanian buyers search for it by name: Google suggests "canter price in tanzania", "canter tipper price in tanzania", "mitsubishi canter price in tanzania" and "bei ya gari canter".
Years, engines and codes in Japanese stock
| Recent trucks (2013 – 2021) | 3.0L codes FEA50 (2013), FBA00 and FBA20 (2014 – 2018) and FBAV0 (2021). |
|---|---|
| 2003 – 2007 | FE74DV and FE82 codes, 4.2 – 5.2L. |
| Older trucks (1985 – 1999) | FE3xx to FE6xx codes, 3.3 – 4.6L. |
| Payload | 2 tonne and 3 tonne trucks seen in listing titles. |
| Mileage seen | About 88,000 – 920,000 km on the cheapest units we checked. Ask for the auction sheet before you choose. |
Canter body types in Japanese stock
Flat body with crane
For example a 2013 flat-deck Canter with a four-stage crane.
Dump / tipper
Seen on older 2 tonne trucks. "Canter tipper" is a common search in Tanzania.
Panel van
Such as a 2018 3 tonne box van with a side door.
Special bodies
For example a 2003 water-tank cleaning truck. Special bodies cost more.
What exporters in Japan ask for a Canter
USD 5,400 – 32,200 FOB
Dealer asking prices in Japan, checked 7 November 2026
Listings from three exporters (SBI Motor, carused.jp and TokyoCarZ). Plain 2013 – 2021 trucks with high mileage: USD 5,400 – 7,100. A 2013 crane truck: about USD 17,000. 2019 – 2025 trucks: USD 18,300 – 32,200.
These are asking prices in Japan before freight, inspection and Tanzanian tax. Special bodies and recent years cost several times more than a plain truck.
Indicative only. This is not a price offer from us. The real price depends on the exact car, its grade, mileage and condition, and on the day it is bought.
How the landed cost is worked out
This is how the cost of a Canter landed in Dar es Salaam is built. We do not show a total: we have no TRA calculator result for a truck, and it is not clear which excise rules apply to trucks after July 2026.
| Truck price (FOB) | Our price for the truck in Japan in your quote, including the auction purchase and transport to the port. |
|---|---|
| Freight to Dar es Salaam (RoRo) | Broker estimates for a truck are about USD 1,300 – 2,000 (undated, low confidence). We quote the current rate for your truck. |
| TBS inspection in Japan | Required before the truck is loaded. We arrange it and it is in your quote. |
| Import duty | 25% of the customs value. Exporter guides work it out on the CIF value: price plus freight and insurance. |
| Excise by age | Before July 2026, goods vehicles (HS 87.04) paid 5% as utility vehicles. Whether the July 2026 bands (18%, 35%, 40%) now apply to trucks is not clear. Confirm with your clearing agent. |
| Excise by engine size | We found no engine-size excise rule for trucks. Confirm with your clearing agent. |
| VAT | 18%, paid to TRA at clearing (exporter guides). |
| Railway Development Levy | 1.5% of the customs value. |
| Port and clearing charges | One exporter guide gives about TZS 1.5 – 3 million for port charges, depending on vehicle size (single source). Ask your clearing agent. |
Rates come from news reports, a law-firm summary, the EAC tariff page and exporter guides read on 7 November 2026, not from TRA. Confirm the total with your clearing agent or the TRA calculator before you pay a deposit.
Tanzania rules that matter for the Canter
Age excise from July 2026: not settled for trucks
The Finance Act 2026 bands are 18% for vehicles more than 8 and up to 10 years old, 35% for more than 10 and up to 20, and 40% for over 20. Reports describe them for imported used vehicles and do not say whether they cover goods vehicles, which paid 5% before. If they do, a 2017 – 2018 Canter falls in the 18% band and a 2014 – 2016 Canter in the 35% band (our rough reading: TRA counts age from the manufacture date). We found no rate for trucks under 8 years (2019 and newer).
Weighbridges from 3,500 kg gross
Under the EAC Vehicle Load Control Act, vehicles of 3,500 kg gross weight and above are weighed at weighbridges. A 2 – 3 tonne Canter can be 3,500 kg gross or more. The gross weight of each truck is on its Japanese export certificate, and we send it to you before you choose. (From news summaries; we have not read the Act itself.)
Inspection
Every truck needs a TBS inspection and roadworthiness certificate in Japan before it ships. We arrange it.
Updated 7 November 2026
Paying safely and avoiding scams
Pay a company account, never a personal one
Buyers in Tanzania and Kenya have lost money to fake Japanese exporters. Pay only into the exporter's company bank account, in the company's name. If anyone asks you to pay a personal account or a different name, stop and ask us on WhatsApp.
Approve the car before you pay
We send you the auction sheet and photos before we bid. You approve the car and the price before any deposit.
Check the inspection certificate
Your car needs a TBS roadworthiness inspection in Japan, and TBS names EAA Company Ltd as the agent for Japan. Ask for the certificate and check it before the car sails.
Watch for copied websites
Some scammers copy a real exporter's website or listings and give their own bank details. Check the web address carefully, and talk to the exporter on a number you already know before you send money.
Mitsubishi Canter to Tanzania: questions buyers ask
What is the Canter truck price in Tanzania?
We cannot give one price, because it depends on the year, body and condition and on Tanzanian tax. In Japan, exporters were asking USD 5,400 – 32,200 FOB for the Canters we checked on 7 November 2026, with plain high-mileage trucks at USD 5,400 – 7,100. Freight, inspection, duty, VAT and clearing come on top.
What is the Canter tipper price in Tanzania?
Tippers (dump trucks) are in Japanese stock, but we did not record a dated tipper price, so we will not guess one. Tell us the payload and year you want and we send you real listings.
How much tax does a Canter pay in Tanzania?
We cannot give a figure yet. Duty is 25%, VAT 18% and the railway levy 1.5%, but trucks paid a 5% utility age excise before July 2026, and we found nothing on whether the new 18% – 40% bands now apply to them. Ask your clearing agent or the TRA calculator before you pay a deposit.
Can a used Canter go on to Zambia, Uganda or Malawi?
Yes, we ship to Dar es Salaam and your transit agent takes it on by road under a TRA transit bond. Your own country's rules apply, and the inland cost depends on the agent, so ask us for a quote to Lusaka, Kampala or Lilongwe.
What should I tell you about the job the truck must do?
Send us the job the truck must do: what you carry, the weight, the body you need (flat deck, tipper, crane, box or freezer), the roads and whether you need 4WD. Put it in the "Anything else" box at the end of the form. A Canter with the wrong body or payload is an expensive mistake, so we search for the one that fits the job.
Other models we help with here
Read our full Tanzania import guide
Sources
- SBI Motor Japan, Mitsubishi Canter stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- carused.jp, Mitsubishi Canter stock list (read 7 Nov 2026)
- TokyoCarZ, Mitsubishi Fuso Canter crane truck listing (search result, 7 Nov 2026)
- EVERYCAR, "Top 10 Japanese used trucks loved by Tanzania buyers 2025", 2 Dec 2025
- The Citizen (Tanzania), "Importing a used car now costs more as Finance Act takes effect", 1 Jul 2026
- Clyde & Co, "Tanzania Tax Update: Finance Act 2026 Highlights", 3 Jul 2026
- East African Community, Customs and Excise duty tariff regimes (undated)
- TokyoCarZ, "How to import cars from Japan to Tanzania: full guide 2026", Mar 2026
- carimports.co.ke, "RoRo vs container shipping to Mombasa" (freight estimates, undated)
- The Citizen (Tanzania), "Government: no going back on road overloading rule" (EAC Vehicle Load Control Act; search summary)
- Kweli, "Dar es Salaam to Lusaka trucking", updated 1 Sep 2026