Toyota Motor Corporation has suggested it is willing to sell US-made vehicles in Japan through its domestic dealer networks to help the Japanese government in its trade negotiations with the US government, according to local reports.
Japan’s leading automaker hopes such a measure will help the two governments reach a more amicable solution in their forthcoming trade negotiations, after the US government imposed an additional 25% tariff on Japanese vehicle imports in April.
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Such a move by Toyota, and possibly by other Japanese automakers, would help reduce the US’ substantial trade deficit with Japan. Japan was the second-largest exporter of vehicles to the US last year after Mexico, with almost 1.5 million vehicles exported – worth some US$ 41 billion. Very few vehicles were exported in the opposite direction.
Toyota and Lexus sales in Japan amounted to 1.44 million units last year, across a network of some 4,000 sales outlets. Almost all of these vehicles were produced locally.
The Japanese government’s chief tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, is expected to visit the US this week to conduct tariff and trade negotiations.
