- Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda is expected to meet with President Trump to discuss the plan.
- The Tundra is the most likely US-made model from the brand to be offered in Japan.
- President Trump has long bemoaned how few American-made cars are sold in the country.
US President Donald Trump is in Japan, and it appears the local car industry is pulling out all the stops to appease the world’s most powerful man. Not long after it was reported that the Japanese government could buy more than 100 Ford F-150s, Toyota is expected to inform the President of its plan to sell some of its American-made vehicles in Japan.
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda has been considering importing US-made vehicles into Japan for several months. He is expected to meet with President Trump this week to announce the plan. While limited details are known at this stage, the carmaker will likely sell these vehicles through its current domestic dealership network.
Read: Japan May Soon See American Toyotas And Hondas It Was Never Meant To Have
Nikkei Asia understands that Toyota is waiting for the Japanese government to ease regulations on the import of US-made vehicles. When this happens, it’ll be able to decide which of its US-built models it should sell locally.
The model that Toyota is most likely to bring to Japan will be the Tundra pickup truck. While it’s too large for many of Japan’s densely populated cities, there is a niche following for American-made pickup trucks in the country, and the Tundra is one of the best. Inevitably, Toyota will have to increase the price to make the endeavor worthwhile.
Japan’s Disinterest In US Cars
Earlier this year, it was even reported that Japanese officials were considering a proposal to import US-made Ford and Chevrolet vehicles that could be sold through Toyota dealerships.
President Trump has long vented his frustration about how few American-made cars are sold in Japan, while every year, millions of locally-made vehicles are sold in the United States. What Donald Trump seems not to understand is that the Land of the Rising Sun is a small country, has comparatively small roads compared to the US, and most citizens live in bustling cities where owning and driving a big car is inconvenient.
