When you send inventory from overseas to an Amazon fulfilment centre in Japan, you are the importer. Amazon does not act as importer of record and will not be your customs representative.
An importer with no address in Japan must appoint a Japan-resident Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP, 税関事務管理人) and notify customs before the goods arrive. The ACP is a representative: they handle the customs formalities and correspondence on your behalf, but the duties and import consumption tax remain your liability.
Who can be an ACP
There is no licence requirement; any individual or company with an address in Japan can be notified as ACP. In practice the role is provided by customs brokers, import-compliance firms and a few specialist services. Published pricing is rare; one provider lists USD 500 setup plus USD 300–1,200 per shipment depending on who files the declaration (as of September 2026). Most quote individually.
What to settle in the contract
- Who pays, and how. Duties and consumption tax are yours. Agree that they are paid directly to the broker or customs, not advanced by the representative.
- HS codes and valuation. Wrong classification is the most common cause of post-clearance audits. Ask who is responsible for classification.
- Records. Import records must be kept for audit; agree who keeps what.
- Termination. What happens if you stop selling or change representative — the customs notification must be updated.
How it fits with PSE and the Domestic Administrator
The ACP handles the border. If your product is PSE- or PSC-marked and you sell directly to Japanese consumers, you separately need a Domestic Administrator under the product-safety laws (since 25 December 2025). Several providers take on both roles in one contract; ask for both together.
Before the first shipment
- Confirm the product's PSE/Giteki status — customs may hold goods that obviously lack required marks.
- Appoint the ACP and file the customs notification.
- Decide who the Domestic Administrator is.
- Prepare the documents Amazon.co.jp will ask for when the listing goes live.
Informational summary from public sources, not legal advice. Confirm with Japan Customs or a licensed customs broker.