US-made cars bound for Japan
Toyota plans to export Camrys, Tundras and Highlanders made in America to Japan to sell in its domestic market next year.
Transpacific shipments of the US-built models are part of an effort to expand the marque’s line-up for Japanese and make a gesture of goodwill to improve trade relations with the States.
Toyota says domestic sales of the American-specification vehicles are expected to facilitated by relaxed certification procedures to be implemented by Japan’s transportation ministry.
The announcement comes about one month after chairman Akio Toyoda hosted the US ambassador to Japan at a celebration of American car culture at Fuji Speedway near Tokyo.
In an attempt to improve relations, Toyoda sported a red MAGA hat and Donald Trump t-shirt while his company exhibited several US-made vehicles, including the Tundra and Camry, pictured above.
“By selling these three popular American models in Japan, Toyota will be able to meet the diverse needs of a broad range of customers while also helping to improve Japan-US trade relations,” says the company, adding it aims to deliver the nameplates in Japan from 2026.
Toyota stated in November it will invest US$10 billion in America on “future mobility efforts”. That announcement came a few weeks after – on a visit to Japan – Trump said Toyota was preparing to plough that amount of cash into constructing “auto plants all over” the US.
There has been a lot of talk among Japanese marques about the potential of reverse importing US-made models since Trump toured Tokyo ahead of the Japan Mobility Show in October.
At the time, Toyota’s chief executive Koji Sato said the company was studying the idea, while executives at Nissan added there might be a good business case for doing so. Guillaume Cartier, the latter’s chief performance officer, said models with such potential included the Altima sedan, Murano and Pathfinder crossovers, and “some Infiniti” products.
Honda’s 0 Series of next-generation EVs, planned for production in Ohio, may be another contender. Its Passport and Acura RSX electric crossover could be others.
Toyota sold the Camry in Japan until 2023 and marketed the Highlander as the Kluger in Japan until 2007. The full-size Tundra, pictured below, would be making its debut in Toyota’s home country.
“As lifestyles diversify and people increasingly seek adventures in nature, Toyota believes Japanese customers will also embrace the appeal of the Tundra that sets it apart from other models,” says Toyota.
That said, Japanese sales of the Camry, for example, amounted to just 8,825 units in 2023. On the flipside, Toyota sold 290,649 in America during the same year.
The Camry is produced at Toyota’s plant in Kentucky, the Highlander in Indiana and Tundra in Texas. Toyota is readying its plant in Georgetown, Kentucky to make EVs. When that upgrade is done, the factory will still have reserve capacity of 80,000 to 100,000 vehicles for export.
Honda, Suzuki, Nissan and Mazda already rank among the top importers of their models into Japan, but usually from low-cost countries such as Thailand or India and not North America, reports Automotive News.
