Azul

What Azul does

Azul Co., Ltd. (株式会社アスール) is a privately-held Japanese trading company specializing in the export and tripartite trade of used and new vehicles, motorcycles, automotive parts, industrial machinery, and consumer goods. The company traces its origins to Kowa Tsusho Co., Ltd. (興和通商株式会社), established in January 1982 as an authorized Daihatsu Motors exporter for Caribbean markets; it was renamed Azul in October 2007 following a corporate restructuring. Azul serves international B2B customers — primarily vehicle importers and industrial equipment buyers in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Asia, and Central Asia — and operates a network of regional offices in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, and Cambodia, supported by a wholly-owned Dominican subsidiary (MUSASHI MOTORS, S.A., established October 2005).

The company's core product lines span used light trucks and minivans (primarily Daihatsu and Suzuki), pre-owned motorcycles, auto and motorcycle parts, tires, batteries, generators, bicycles, construction and industrial machinery, agricultural equipment, and home appliances. Azul does not develop proprietary technology; its value proposition rests on trade intermediation, market access, multilingual capabilities (English, Spanish, Chinese), and physical presence in destination markets. The corporate website was last visibly updated around 2008, and the firm provides no apps, APIs, or digital platforms.

Azul generates revenue through one-time transactional margins between procurement and sale prices in international trade (including Japan-origin exports and third-country-to-third-country tripartite arrangements). The business is led by President Koji Ninomiya, who assumed the role in May 2006 in a second-generation family succession. As of FY2024, the company reported annual turnover of JPY 2.4 billion (approximately USD 15–16 million), employs 10 staff, and operates with paid-in capital of JPY 80 million from a Tokyo headquarters in Chuo-ku.

Name

Azul

Legal name

株式会社アスール

Website

https://azul-co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Azul Co., Ltd. is a privately-held Japanese trading company exporting used vehicles, motorcycles, auto parts, and industrial machinery from Japan and other origins to B2B customers across the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Asia, with FY2024 turnover of JPY 2.4 billion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Vehicle and Machinery Trading

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers (42312), Tire and Tube Merchant Wholesalers (42313)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorcycle, powersports & ATV parts and accessories distribution (CRAOANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tire Distribution & Wholesale (Regional/Local Supply) (TLAKADAH)

Keywords

• Used vehicle exports
• Motorcycle exports
• Auto parts trading
• Tripartite trade
• Industrial machinery trade

Headquarters

HQ city

Chuo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Export and Tripartite Trade: The company generates revenue through export trading and tripartite trade, selling vehicles (cars, motorcycles), auto parts, construction machinery, industrial machinery, and electrical appliances to international markets. Revenue comes from the margin between procurement and sale prices in international trade transactions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Azul Co., Ltd. is a Japanese trading company that exports and conducts tripartite trade of used light trucks, minivans, motorcycles, automotive and motorcycle parts, tires, batteries, generators, bicycles, construction and industrial machinery, and home appliances. The company sources products from Japan and other countries and delivers them to international buyers, primarily in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia, with regional offices in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, and Cambodia.

Product overview

AZUL CO., LTD. is a Japanese trading company specializing in the export and tripartite trade of vehicles and machinery. The company's core offerings include used light trucks and minivans (primarily DAIHATSU and SUZUKI brands), motorcycles, auto parts, motorcycle parts, tires, batteries, generators, bicycles, industrial machinery, and home appliances. The company operates primarily serving Caribbean and Latin American markets including Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, and other Central/South American countries. As a trading company, Azul facilitates import/export operations and tripartite trade arrangements, connecting Japanese manufacturers with global markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Used Light Trucks and Minivans
• Used Motorcycles Pre-owned motorcycles for export to Caribbean and Latin American markets.
• Auto Parts
• Motorcycle Parts
• Tires Vehicle tires for cars and motorcycles, including the TOYO brand historically exported to international markets.
• Batteries Vehicle batteries including the YUASA car battery line historically exported.
• Generators
• Bicycles and Bicycle Parts
• Industrial and Construction Machinery
• Home Appliances
• Imported New Vehicles Imported vehicles including new Daihatsu and Nissan brand vehicles historically sold in Caribbean markets.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Be Forward Limited: Major Japanese used vehicle exporter with strong presence in African, Caribbean, and Latin American markets. Directly comparable as a Japan-based wholesaler exporting used cars, SUVs, and light trucks to emerging markets via overseas offices.
• SBT Co., Ltd. Japanese used car exporter specializing in vehicles shipped globally, with significant Caribbean and Latin American buyer overlap. Directly comparable B2B trading model sourcing from Japanese auctions and exporting to similar destination markets.
• Autocom Japan: Japanese used vehicle exporter serving global emerging markets including the Caribbean and Latin America. Comparable as a small-to-mid Japanese trader moving used cars, motorcycles, and parts via multi-country distribution.
• Tsuchiya Auto Co., Ltd. Japanese used car and motorcycle exporter with global B2B reach. Similar profile as a focused Japanese vehicle trader exporting used ICE vehicles and parts to international dealer networks.
• EVERY Co., Ltd. Japanese used vehicle and parts exporter serving Central/South American and Caribbean buyer networks. Comparable business model, customer base, and product mix (used vehicles plus motorcycle/auto parts).
• CAR FROM JAPAN: Online Japanese used car export platform serving Latin American, Caribbean, and African buyers. Comparable as a Japan-origin vehicle exporter with overlapping customer geography, though more digitally enabled.
• SBI Africa (used vehicle export arm): Japanese used vehicle exporter with focus on African and emerging markets, also touching Caribbean and Latin American buyers. Comparable product (used cars/light trucks), comparable emerging-market customer focus.

Others

• Musashi Motors S.A. (Azul subsidiary): Wholly-owned Azul subsidiary in the Dominican Republic handling Caribbean-side distribution. Listed separately as an ecosystem entity rather than a comparable peer.

Broad incumbents

• Sojitz Corporation: Major Japanese sogo shosha (general trading company) with broad vehicle, machinery, and parts trading operations across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia. Comparable as a much larger incumbent operating in the same cross-border vehicle/machinery trade space.
• Itochu Corporation: One of Japan's largest trading houses with significant automotive and machinery export businesses to emerging markets. Overlaps with Azul in vehicle and industrial product trading but operates at vastly larger scale and portfolio breadth.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Azul