The reason there’s a ban on import cars younger than 25 years is to prevent the entry of unsafe and auntan vehicles. These laws were also passed to reduce the competition of cars directly imported from other countries. The laws haven’t stopped people from trying to obtain banned vehicles. There are multiple dealers who present themselves as knowledgeable on the policies of importing Japanese vehicles into the US, and then deliberately work within the gray space between state and federal regulations. They utilize methods for illegal shipping into US, such as having the the automobile brought over in parts and then reassembled once it’s within the country. Because of Canada’s less restrictive import laws, some sellers will have the cars brought in over the border. This is technically smuggling and the dealers are susceptible to charges of fraud. It is necessary for dealers to register as legal importers with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There’s also independent commercial importers who are listed with the Environmental Protection Agency as authorized to modify non-conforming vehicles and bring them into compliance with emission standards. For a automobile to be legal for the road, it needs to meet quite a few regulations. An imported car, that fails to meet those regulations, is at risk of been confiscated and destroyed. The importers can face jail time or fines. The US Customs and Border Protection check containers headed to business to make sure that the contents match the required paperwork. If the inspection reveals an undeclared vehicle, the automobile is automatically seized and the business faces charges. Some companies try to get around this by packing illegal cars into containers which contain mostly furniture.