Toyota Motor Corporation confirmed that it plans to begin selling US-made Camry sedans in Japan later this year, in a move aimed at helping to reduce Japan’s trade surplus with the US and ease trade tensions between the two countries. The introduction of import duties in the US in 2025 had a significant impact on the earnings of Japanese automakers in the last year.

The Japanese automaker said it plans to begin importing the Camry, produced in right-hand drive format at its Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, starting this autumn, with volumes expected to reach 10,000 units per year. The model is available in the US with a hybrid-electric powertrain.

Toyota began selling the US-made Tundra pickup truck and Highlander SUV in Japan in April, produced at the ⁠Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (TNNT) and ⁠Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana (TMMI) plants respectively, to help ease trade tensions between Japan and the Trump administration.

Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda told reporters: “If this move helps improve the trade balance to some extent, there is hope that the tariff issue will be reexamined further."