‘Addressing Trump’s Criticism on Trade Deficit: Ensuring Profitability Amid Rising Costs’
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Choi Il-rak = Japanese automakers, including Toyota, have decided to re-import and sell their vehicles produced in the United States back to Japan starting next year.
This move is a response to the U.S. administration under Donald Trump, which has criticized the trade deficit with Japan. However, the industry is hopeful that this will provide customers with more diverse vehicle options to choose from.
According to reports from Nihon Keizai Shimbun and Kyodo News on the 19th, Toyota plans to re-import and sell models such as the Camry, the Tundra pickup truck, and the Highlander SUV, which are produced in the U.S.
The sales method and pricing for these vehicles have not yet been decided.
These three models are not currently sold within Japan, but given that labor costs at U.S. factories are higher than in Japan and that there are additional costs associated with re-importation, ensuring profitability remains a challenge.
Honda is also considering re-importing and selling large SUVs like the Pilot and Passport, and the Ridgeline pickup truck from the U.S.
Nissan is listing premium SUVs like the Murano and large SUVs like the Pathfinder as potential re-import candidates.
The Japanese government plans to simplify the necessary procedures for car re-imports as a measure to counter the trade pressure from the Trump administration.
Typically, in addition to submitting documents, additional safety certification procedures are required for imported cars. However, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism plans to introduce a special measure that will allow document inspections to replace this requirement for vehicles produced in the U.S., starting early next year.
Previously, the U.S. White House claimed that Toyota would open its sales network in Japan to American automakers, but whether this will happen depends on U.S. companies like General Motors (GM) and Ford.
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that American cars are not sold in Japan. He has criticized differences in safety standards as non-tariff barriers and urged Japan to take action.
Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota, has shown a positive stance towards re-imports. The “Fact Sheet on Japanese Companies’ Investment in the U.S.” published on the White House website last October also included the re-import of U.S.-made cars to Japan.