What TRUST does

TRUST Co., Ltd. is a Japanese used car export company founded in December 1988 and headquartered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The company operates a B2C business model, selling Japanese used vehicles directly to individual customers overseas through its flagship e-commerce platform JapaneseVehicles.com. The platform serves buyers in over 150 countries, attracting approximately 30 million annual website sessions and processing around 10,000 orders and 3,000 completed transactions per year, with roughly 1,500 vehicles listed on the platform at any given time. The technology stack centers on a multi-language storefront (English, French, Portuguese, Russian) integrated with a proprietary quality inspection process that screens every listed vehicle before publication.

The company's revenue model combines one-time vehicle sales, marketplace/transaction fees through its JV Sales dealer enablement platform, and physical retail revenue from its South African subsidiary TRUST ABSOLUT AUTO, which operates five Suzuki new-car dealerships (three in Johannesburg, two near Cape Town) with 164 employees. TRUST also owns J-net Rentalease Co., Ltd. (acquired 2009), a car rental subsidiary within the VT Holdings group. Operational infrastructure includes a Nagoya Port stockyard (capable of holding 2,000 vehicles), a 42,300 sqm stockyard in Yatomi, Aichi Prefecture (acquired 2007), and a Tokyo branch opened in May 2023.

In August 2025, TRUST became a wholly-owned subsidiary of VT Holdings Co., Ltd. (TSE Prime 7593), a diversified automotive group with 4,000+ employees and 200 billion+ yen in group sales, and the company's shares were delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange. TRUST was previously a listed entity on the TSE Mothers market (2004), later moved to TSE Second Section (2015) and then the Standard Market (2022). The current company structure places TRUST as the group's core Africa/global used-car export subsidiary.

Name

TRUST

Legal name

株式会社トラスト

Website

https://trust-ltd.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

TRUST Co., Ltd. is a Japanese used car export company selling Japanese vehicles directly to individual overseas customers in 150+ countries via its JapaneseVehicles.com platform, with additional South African Suzuki dealership operations and dealer enablement via its JV Sales platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Car Export

NAICS

Automobile and Other Motor Vehicle Merchant Wholesalers (423110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border Vehicle Logistics & Customs/Compliance (VIN, Documentation) (TLADAJAL)

Keywords

• Used car export
• Japanese used vehicles
• International auto sales
• Used car marketplace
• Overseas car dealer

Headquarters

HQ city

Nagoya

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Used Car Export Sales: Direct sales of used vehicles to overseas individual customers and dealers. Pre-payment system where customs clearance and shipping procedures are completed after receiving sales proceeds.
2. New Car Dealership (South Africa): Operates 5 Suzuki new car dealerships in South Africa (3 in Johannesburg, 2 in Cape Town suburbs) through subsidiary TRUST ABSOLUT AUTO.
3. JV Sales Platform Services: Platform services for partner dealers to list vehicles for overseas export. Trust facilitates transactions and handles logistics.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TRUST exports Japanese used vehicles directly to individual customers in over 150 countries through its e-commerce platform JapaneseVehicles.com. The company acquires, inspects, and ships used cars from Japan to overseas buyers, handling sales, payment collection, customs clearance, and shipping logistics end-to-end. It also operates a JV Sales dealer-listing platform and 5 Suzuki new car dealerships in South Africa.

Product overview

TRUST operates primarily as a used car export company with a BtoC business model, selling Japanese used vehicles directly to overseas customers through its flagship platform JapaneseVehicles.com. The company offers a dealer support service called JV Sales that enables other dealers to list vehicles on its platform, handling approximately 10,000 orders and 3,000 completed transactions annually. Additionally, the company operates an overseas car dealership business with 5 Suzuki dealerships in South Africa and maintains a car rental subsidiary (J-net Rent-a-Car) under the VT Holdings group. The portfolio consists of the core used car export platform, dealer listing module, international dealership operations, and rental services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JapaneseVehicles.com: Overseas used car export sales website operated by Trust Co., Ltd., offering Japanese used cars to customers in over 150 countries. Site handles approximately 30,000,000 sessions annually with around 1,500 vehicles listed at any time.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 million annual website sessions demonstrating strong traffic and market reach

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2018Participated in ABE Initiative (African Business Education Initiative for Youth) organized by JICA. Engaged with African students for internship programs and talent development.
• African Diplomatic CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintained relationships with embassies of Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi in Japan through participation in African business events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CARCHIEF Co., Ltd. Japanese used car exporter with global online listings and dealer/individual customer sales, including active focus on African and Oceania markets. Closely comparable to TRUST in geographic reach and product mix of used Japanese vehicles.
• SBT Japan Co., Ltd. A major Japanese used car exporter offering B2C and B2B online sales of used Japanese vehicles globally. Highly comparable in business model, target customers, and use of an online platform with overseas shipping.
• ETrade Japan Co., Ltd. Japanese used car and used car parts exporter with online listings and global delivery, particularly active in African markets. Comparable to TRUST in terms of B2C platform-based export of used Japanese vehicles to emerging markets.
• Car From Japan (CAG Japan): Japanese used car export platform that aggregates inventory from partner dealers and sells to overseas individual and dealer buyers, similar to TRUST's JV Sales model. Competes in the same B2B/B2C cross-border used car segment.
• BeForward Co., Ltd. The largest Japanese used car exporter, with a high-traffic B2C/B2B website and global shipping operations. Directly comparable to TRUST as a Japanese-based platform exporting used vehicles to individual customers and dealers across Africa, Oceania, and other emerging markets.
• Auc Japan Co., Ltd. Japanese used car exporter that sources from Japanese auto auctions and sells via an online platform to overseas individual and dealer buyers. Operates in a nearly identical model to TRUST, with multi-language listings and export logistics.

Broad incumbents

• USS Co., Ltd. Operates the largest network of used car auction sites in Japan, providing the upstream inventory source for many Japanese used car exporters including TRUST. Not a direct retail competitor, but a critical supplier and broad incumbent in the same used vehicle value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

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 TRUST