- Why Aren’t U.S. Cars Popular in Japan? -- There are no import tariffs on cars, for example, while the U.S. and European Union impose 2.5 percent and 10 percent tariffs. Japanese customers expect to receive services like free maintenance from their dealers after they buy their cars. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/11/us-cars-japan/544991/ 6 comments business