Toyota’s chairman went on a allure offensive at an occasion attended by the US ambassador to Japan on the weekend, donning a Make America Nice Once more (MAGA) hat, as his firm seems to be to placate the Trump administration with additional US funding and exports to Japan.
Automotive Information experiences the occasion, hosted on November 16 by Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda at Fuji Speedway, was a spectacle of Americana with dozens of American flags and a barbeque-heavy menu – plus a clutch of US-built Toyotas and even Fords on show.
Toyoda-san took a Ford F-150 – not his personal firm’s rival Tundra – across the monitor with Ambassador George Glass forward of a NASCAR demo drive. The Ambassador shared numerous photos of the occasion on his X account.
Toyota introduced out six NASCAR race automobiles and drivers Jimmie Johnson, John Hunter Nemechek and Kamui Kobayashi.
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Toyoda-san, who was additionally sporting a Trump-Vance 2024 election T-shirt, didn’t criticise the tariffs that many automakers have blamed for negatively impacting profitability.
“I’m not right here to argue whether or not tariffs are good or unhealthy. Each nationwide chief needs to guard their very own auto trade,” Toyoda-san stated.
“We’re exploring methods to make tariffs a winner for everybody. The folks we would like most to be winners are our prospects.”
The Trump administration initially imposed a 27.5 per cent tariff on Japanese auto imports, earlier than subsequently ratcheting this down to fifteen per cent.
Toyota additionally subsequently introduced a US$10 billion (A$15.4bn) funding in its US operations earlier this month, and formally opened its new battery manufacturing plant in North Carolina.
Final month, the Trump administration stated Toyota was trying to export autos it builds within the US to its dwelling market.
“[Toyota] plans to export its US-made autos to Japan and open its distribution platform in Japan to US automakers, because of Japan’s dedication to just accept on the market in Japan US manufactured and US safety-certified autos with out extra testing,” the assertion stated.
Toyota builds a raft of autos within the US, together with the Corolla, Camry, Highlander (Kluger), Grand Highlander, Sienna, Tundra, and Sequoia.
The Georgetown, Kentucky plant that builds the Camry will reportedly have reserve capability of 80,000-100,000 autos for export, and Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky president Kerry Creech stated it’s evaluating exporting the sedan to Japan.
Toyota not too long ago discontinued the Camry in its dwelling market, leaving a spot in its lineup between the Corolla and the Crown.
Mr Creech reportedly confirmed the plant doesn’t but have orders to begin making right-hand drive Camrys for export, however ought to these orders come by way of it will possibly retool the strains in lower than six months.
“It’s not tough. It simply takes somewhat extra space,” he stated of export manufacturing.
This might be removed from the primary time a Japanese automaker has exported US-built autos to its dwelling market.
Honda was first, exporting coupe variations of its Accord from the US to Japan within the Eighties, and following this up with exports of the fifth-generation Accord wagon within the Nineteen Nineties.
Mitsubishi additionally exported its US-built Eclipse coupe and convertible to Japan across the similar time.
Toyota has not solely exported US-built autos to Japan earlier than, it has exported the Camry. The primary ‘wide-body’ Camry – the XV10 – was exported in coupe and wagon guise to Japan because the Scepter.
Even stranger issues have occurred, like when Toyota bought the US-built Chevrolet Cavalier in Japan from 1996 to 2000 – once more, an try and placate the US authorities, aided by Common Motors with which the automaker had a partnership on the time.
On the time, the US authorities had accused Japan of getting a closed auto market that its automakers couldn’t crack, whereas Japanese automakers like Toyota had been having fun with phenomenal success within the US.
“Together with the automobile itself, the Toyota Cavalier challenge brings a valued new impetus to Japanese-American industrial relations,” Toyota stated on the time.
“As an import from the US, the automotive additionally contributes to the promotion of a extra worldwide market in Japan.”
