Trump says transferring Toyota production to the US is an effect of tariffs

US President Donald Trump during a meeting at the NATO summit
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (7) that Toyota's decision to invest US$3.6 billion in building a new factory in Texas and transferring part of its pickup truck production from Mexico to the United States is a 'big deal'.
In a publication in Truth Social, Trump wrote: "Toyota is moving from Mexico to the United States United (Texas!) Big deal. Tariffs in action!".
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Announced by the Japanese automaker on Monday (6), the investment involves the construction of a unit of approximately 232 thousand square meters on the company's industrial campus in San Antonio. The factory is expected to come into operation by 2030 and create around 2,000 jobs.
When the new unit is completed, Toyota will transfer to Texas part of the production of the Tacoma mid-size pickup currently carried out in Baja California, Mexico.
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The automaker will continue producing the Tacoma at its factory in Guanajuato, also in Mexico. In San Antonio, where the new facility will be built, the company already manufactures Tundra pickup trucks and Sequoia SUVs. In addition, a new rear axle factory, with approximately 46,500 square meters, is expected to open at the site in the autumn of the Northern Hemisphere.
The announcement comes amid pressure from Trump for automakers to expand production in the United States. Since the beginning of its mandate, the North American government has raised tariffs on automobiles, steel, aluminum and auto parts.
Toyota stated that it remains committed to its operations in Mexico, Canada and the United States and defended the extension of the North American free trade agreement, considered essential by automakers for the integration of the production chain in the region.
In 2020, the company had transferred production of the Tacoma from San Antonio to Guanajuato, which began to share the manufacturing of the model with the Baja unit California, responsible for the pickup truck since 2004.
Texas governor Greg Abbott said the project could receive a state subsidy of US$20 million, in addition to other incentives.
According to the White House, Toyota's announcement is "one of many" investments driven by the Trump administration's agenda, based on tariffs, deregulation and tax cuts.
Last year, Toyota president Akio Toyoda appeared wearing a t-shirt "Trump-Vance 2024" and a red cap with the slogan "Make America Great Again" ("Make America Great Again"), a gesture that received praise from Trump and criticism from environmentalists.
The automaker also worked with Congress and the White House to reverse California's emissions rules and other requirements related to electric vehicles. At the same time, the company claims to have incurred billions of dollars in additional costs due to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

Source: G1