Toyota Motor’s president Akio Toyoda is ‘thankful and encouraged” that the new US president Donald Trump has Mike Pence as his vice president, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

The report said that Toyoda maintains that Mike Pence is someone who “understands what we do, and listens to us.” Toyoda reportedly added that Pence “understands that Toyota is a company loved in the region [it operates in], and I am thankful and encouraged [for Pence’s presence].”

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Pence is a former governor of Indiana, where Toyota has a factory. The Nikkei report said that Toyoda held a meeting with the new vice president prior to his inauguration.

Toyota has been a target – along with other OEMs – for criticism from Donald Trump over Mexican investments assisted by NAFTA that he alleges have taken jobs from the US.

In a Twitter post earlier this month, Trump lambasted Toyota for building a new plant in Mexico and threatens to levy US import tariffs if the company goes ahead – the same threat previously levelled at Ford and GM.

Trump’s Twitter post read: “Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax.”

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Toyota responded by pointing to its contribution to the US economy. “With more than $21.9bn direct investment in the US, 10 manufacturing facilities, 1,500 dealerships and 136,000 employees, Toyota looks forward to collaborating with the Trump administration to serve in the best interests of consumers and the automotive industry,” the company said.