Toyota To Start Exporting American Models To Japan

Toyota has been building cars in the US since the 1980s, and almost all the models that are popular in America are also built there. So there’s nothing new about that, nor is there any news about Toyota supplementing its extensive American production here and there with a model that still comes from Japan. It’s comparable to Europe, because here too, we’re used to locally produced cars with a Japanese brand name. The Yaris Cross is even the most produced car in France, undoubtedly to the chagrin of Renault, Peugeot, and Citroën.

While local production is certainly not new, exporting a Toyota made elsewhere back to Toyota’s home country, Japan, is. It has happened with European Toyotas in the past, and now America is also ready to ship Toyotas to Japan. This decision appears to be the result of extensive discussions between the current American and Japanese governments and major industry players like Toyota, during which CEO Akio Toyoda was even spotted wearing a MAGA hat. That discussion seemed to be going well for the Americans, and America is now reaping the benefits. Toyota will sell the quintessential American Tundra, as well as the Highlander and Camry, as American imports in Japan. This should require very few adjustments, as America and Japan have also agreed to simply accept a significant portion of each other’s safety and admission requirements to facilitate the process. Exactly as could happen in Europe, indeed.

The Highlander and Camry aren’t entirely new to the Japanese market. The large Highlander SUV was available as the Toyota Kluger until 2007; the Camry disappeared from the Japanese market in 2023. Toyota claims these models will appeal to a broader Japanese demographic while also improving trade relations between the US and Japan. The Kentucky-built Camry, Indiana-produced Highlander, and Texas-built Tundra will be available in Japan starting in 2026.

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