Trinidad and Tobago’s auto market splits into two tiers: seven ADATT-authorized franchise dealers selling new vehicles (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Porsche, Chevrolet, Jeep), and a larger, fragmented group of TTADA-member dealers selling foreign-used Japanese imports.

With no domestic manufacturing, the whole sector runs on imports. The biggest current shift is regulatory: the used-vehicle import age limit rose from 3 to 8 years effective January 1, 2026, dramatically widening eligible stock, while dealer quotas grew 30%.

At the same time, the 2026 budget partially rolled back the EV tax exemption for luxury models over TT$400,000, even as EV charging equipment stayed tax-free.

The sector’s core strain is rising factory/shipping costs on new cars combined with a chronic foreign-exchange shortage that dealers say threatens viability, with unverified but repeated claims of uneven forex access between dealers.

The real market gap isn’t vehicle selection but experience: no dealer reviewed offers transparent all-in landed pricing, online financing approval, or digital service booking, despite most already running basic online catalogues… (Download the report)