Toyota to export U.S.-built cars to Japan ahead of Trump’s visit to Tokyo

Toyota Motor is preparing to ship U.S.-built vehicles back to Japan in a move tied to President Donald Trump’s upcoming three-day visit.

According to NHK, Toyota will inform Washington of this plan while Trump is in Tokyo. Akio Toyoda, the automaker’s chairman, is expected to be the one delivering the message directly to American officials during the meetings with Japanese business executives.

Koji Sato, Toyota’s president, told reporters on Wednesday that the company is now “looking into bringing cars built in the U.S. into the Japanese market.”

He added that discussions are still ongoing inside the company about which specific models will be sent over and how many units are on the table. Nothing has been finalized, but the intent is clear: ship American-made cars to Japan.

Toyota moves ahead as Trump returns to Asia

This step from Toyota comes right after the July trade deal between Washington and Tokyo, which put new tariffs on Japanese goods exported to the U.S. To avoid friction, the Japanese government is currently reviewing its own vehicle standards.

Their goal? Let U.S.-made vehicles be sold in Japan without going through another round of testing. That change would allow Toyota and other automakers to import American-built cars directly and faster.

This is Japan’s government and private sector trying to look like they’re cooperating with the U.S. on fixing the trade deficit.

Meanwhile, President Trump arrives in Southeast Asia on Sunday for a packed diplomatic trip. He’ll move through Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, with meetings planned at every stop. In Tokyo, he’s expected to sit down with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a right-wing ally of the late Shinzo Abe, and will also meet Emperor Naruhito. Trump’s stop in Japan will be his fourth official visit to the country.

Takaichi has already announced she’s increasing defense spending to 2% of GDP by March, two years ahead of schedule. She’s also said the July trade deal with the U.S. may be looked at again, depending on how talks with Trump go.

That’ll give Trump even more to discuss with Japanese executives and troops stationed across the country. Japan currently hosts more U.S. military personnel than any other American ally.

Trade drives Trump’s full Asia tour

Before his stop in Tokyo, Trump will be in Kuala Lumpur, where he’s scheduled to meet Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim and attend an ASEAN leaders’ dinner. This year’s summit theme is “inclusivity and sustainability.”

Trump will also take part in a peace deal signing between Cambodia and Thailand. He previously said he helped resolve their deadly border conflict.

From there, he heads to South Korea for the APEC conference, where he’ll give a speech to business leaders, meet with South Korea’s president, and attend a formal dinner.

But the big question looming over all this? China. Trump is expected to meet with Xi Jinping, though analysts aren’t betting on a trade breakthrough.

Victor Cha from CSIS said, “The first message is Trump the peacemaker. The second is Trump the moneymaker.”

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that he’s ready to subsidize U.S. farmers if talks with China stall. He also said he’ll raise Russia and Ukraine with Xi, adding, “I’d like to see China help us out.”

Trump even brought up North Korea, saying he’s open to another meeting with Kim Jong Un, despite the White House denying anything’s scheduled. “You know, they don’t have a lot of telephone service,” he said, before telling reporters to “put out the word.”

If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter.