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It’s official. After a report emerged Thursday that Toyota intended to begin exporting the U.S.-built Camry, Highlander, and Tundra to Japan next year, the automaker has now confirmed the plan. And it’s not exactly quiet about the reasons why.
“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-U.S. trade relations,” a press release on Friday stated.
The Camry and Highlander have been marketed in Japan before, but never the Tundra. The move comes on the heels of a surprising display from Chairman Akio Toyoda, who donned a MAGA cap and Trump t-shirt during a NASCAR exhibition event at Fuji Speedway last month.
The Kentucky-built Toyota Camry and Indiana-built Highlander. Toyota
It also follows months of trade negotiations between the U.S. and Japan. Back in July, the Japanese government pledged to invest $550 billion in U.S. industry in exchange for lower tariffs on its goods, particularly cars. Experts believe it’ll never come to pass the way the Trump administration expects.
In the meantime, Toyota has floated the idea of making its domestic retail footprint available to American automakers. And it’ll reportedly make use of a new regulatory framework to bring these three models into Japan without the extensive safety certification that is typically necessary.
Besides Toyota, Nissan and Honda have also mooted selling U.S.-built vehicles in Japan. The former has mentioned the Murano and Pathfinder as possible candidates; the latter hasn’t been quite as specific, though the upcoming 0 Series EVs, which will be manufactured in Ohio, present an opportunity.
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Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
