Toyota beats Nissan, Honda to Japanese market with reverse imports — exactly one year after Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’

In a bid to expand its presence in the Japanese market, Toyota has launched U.S.-built Tundra pickups and Highlander crossovers in Japan, marking a significant shift in the country's automotive landscape. The move, which comes as a result of relaxed certification rules, allows the vehicles to bypass the usual rigorous testing and certification process, but it also poses several challenges, including the fact that many Japanese roads are designed with left-hand drive vehicles in mind. With a relatively small sales target, Toyota will be closely monitoring the performance of these U.S.-built models, which could potentially shake up the domestic market dominated by Japanese automakers. As the Japanese market continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how consumers will respond to this new offering from Toyota.

U.S.-built Tundra pickups and Highlander crossovers were launched in Japan with tiny sales targets. The symbolic move leverages loosened certification rules but faces challenges including left-hand ...