Toyota starts selling two U.S.-made models in Tokyo

Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it started selling two of its U.S.-manufactured models in Tokyo, using a simplified import procedure introduced as part of a tariff deal with the United States, according to Kyodo.

The Japan-U.S. tariff agreement allows cars manufactured and certified as safe in the United States to be sold in Japan without undergoing additional safety testing.

The Tundra, a pickup truck produced in Texas, and the Highlander, a sport utility vehicle manufactured in Indiana, went on sale in Tokyo on Thursday, with nationwide sales scheduled to begin this summer.

Following the nationwide rollout, the automaker plans to sell 80 Tundras per month at a suggested retail price of 12 million yen ($75,000) and 40 Highlanders per month at 8.6 million yen.

Toyota also aims to sell the U.S.-produced Camry sedan as soon as preparations are completed.

U.S. President Donald Trump's hefty tariffs on American trade partners, including Japan, were partly aimed at reducing chronic U.S. trade deficits.

In April last year, the Trump administration imposed a tariff of 27.5 percent on foreign-made cars, far higher than the previous 2.5 percent. The rate on vehicles from Japan was negotiated down to 15 percent in July and formally implemented in September.

In 2023, auto exports accounted for about 30 percent of Japan's total exports to the United States, the largest of any sector.