What is the USS auction?
The largest used-vehicle auction operator in Japan, holding weekly auctions in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka and Kyushu. USS auctions move 100,000+ vehicles per week and are the primary source for most used cars exported to Sri Lanka.
Also known as: USS, Used System Solutions, Tokyo USS, Yokohama USS
What is the USS auction?
USS stands for Used System Solutions (株式会社ユー・エス・エス), the largest used-vehicle auction operator in Japan. USS holds weekly auctions across multiple venues:
- USS Tokyo — Wednesday/Thursday, Saitama
- USS Yokohama — Thursday, near Yokohama Port
- USS Nagoya — Tuesday, Toyota’s home city
- USS Osaka — Wednesday, Kansai region
- USS Kyushu — Thursday, Fukuoka
Combined, USS venues move over 100,000 vehicles per week. For a Sri Lankan buyer, this is the primary source of used inventory — most of what you see at local Sri Lankan yards came through USS originally, marked up before resale.
Why it matters
- Volume — USS sees nearly every export-grade Japanese car at some point
- Standardisation — every car carries a USS-format auction sheet with the same grade scale and notation
- Transparency — auction prices are published; an honest importer can show you the exact price the car cleared at
- Liquidity — auctions run weekly, so any specific car you want is usually available within 1–2 weeks of asking
Other major auction houses include TAA (Toyota Auto Auction), JU and HAA. Together these four cover essentially the entire export-grade Japanese used-car market.
Car Dreams sources from all four, comparing live prices across auctions before bidding to ensure you get the best CIF on the spec you want.
Related terms
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Auction sheet
A one-page inspection report produced by an independent auction-house inspector when a used car enters a Japanese auction. It records overall grade, interior and exterior letter grades, accident-repair history, odometer verification and panel-level defects.
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JAAI
The Japan Auto Appraisal Institute — an independent body that performs pre-shipment inspections on used vehicles being exported from Japan. A JAAI inspection certificate is required by Sri Lanka Customs at the time of import and confirms the vehicle is roadworthy and matches its declared specifications.
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TAA auction
Toyota Auto Auction — a major Japanese vehicle auction network operated by the Toyota group. TAA is one of the four primary auction sources for used cars exported to Sri Lanka, alongside USS, JU and HAA.
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