Japan plans to ease safety certification for US-made vehicles to enable domestic automakers to import models produced in America.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will scrap the existing requirement for additional domestic testing.
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Instead, vehicles will be approved through an assessment of US compliance documentation, according to a report from Nikkei Asia.
Certified vehicles will be labelled, and an entry will be added to their vehicle inspection certificates documenting the certification.
The policy shift is aimed at supporting so-called reverse imports by Japanese manufacturers.
Toyota Motor is weighing the import of the US-built Camry sedan, the Highlander SUV, and the Tundra pickup truck, produced at its facilities in Kentucky, Indiana, and Texas, respectively .
Toyota describes its US-made Camry as combining a “sophisticated design with comfort, while boasting outstanding fuel efficiency,” while the Highlander is a three-row SUV popular with families.
The group will re-introduce these two models in Japan, after they were discontinued there in 2023 and 2007 respectively, with the Highlander previously sold as the Kluger.
Decisions on distribution channels and pricing have not yet been finalised.
Last year, US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticised the scarcity of American-made cars on Japanese roads.
Japan exported 1.35 million vehicles to the US in 2025, but imported just 18,624 cars from the US, The Japan Times reported, citing preliminary Japanese Finance Ministry data.
Other Japanese automakers are also examining reverse-import options.
Honda Motor is assessing US-manufactured Ridgeline pickup trucks and Pilot SUVs, while Nissan Motor is considering bringing in Murano and Pathfinder SUVs built in the US.
Streamlined certification would open an additional outlet for higher-margin models.
