Trump hails Toyota production shift as tariff policy success

2026-07-07

U.S. President Donald Trump on the 7th said it was 'really amazing' after Toyota Motor said it would shift some pickup truck production to the United States. Speaking at an event on expanded U.S. investment, he said, 'This is the result of using tariffs properly,' and took credit for the move.

Showcasing U.S. investment

At the start of his meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Trump stressed that he had heard the news that Toyota would move its base from Mexico to the United States and build one of the largest factories ever. Ahead of the midterm elections in November, he appeared intent on highlighting the strength of the U.S. economy and winning voter support.

Tariff policy stance

After taking office in 2025, the Trump administration has rolled out tariffs on imported cars and across-the-board reciprocal tariffs one after another. It has positioned them as a pillar of efforts to halt the decline of domestic manufacturing and create jobs, while critics have said they run counter to free trade.

Toyota said on the 6th that it would shift some production at its Mexico plant to the United States by 2030. It plans to invest a total of $3.6 billion, or about 580 billion yen, in a factory in Texas in the southern United States and add a new production line. Toyota has said tariffs were not the reason for the shift.

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