Toyota to start selling U.S.-made Camry sedans in Japan, beginning this autumn

Toyota Motor said it will begin selling Camry sedans made in the United States in Japan starting this autumn, a move aimed at reducing trade friction and narrowing the gap in U.S.-Japan vehicle flows.

The Camry will be produced in right-hand-drive configuration at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) in Georgetown, Kentucky, and then shipped to Japan for sale. Toyota said the hybrid-electric Camry sold in the United States will be the basis for the Japan-bound model, according to reporting that reflects Toyota’s confirmation.

Toyota expects to build up to about 10,000 units per year for the Japan market, putting the Camry into the same strategic channel as other U.S.-built vehicles Toyota has been expanding into Japan. The Camry is not Toyota’s first import of an American-made model into Japan, and the company has previously said it expects to introduce multiple U.S.-produced models as conditions allow.

The announcement also underscores how tariff and trade-policy changes are reshaping automaker supply chains. Reporting on Toyota’s comments ties the decision to an effort to help improve the trade balance between the two countries, and notes that new U.S. import duties that took effect in 2025 have already affected Japanese automakers’ earnings.

Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda said, in remarks carried by Just Auto, that if the step improves the trade balance “to some extent,” there is hope the tariff issue will be reconsidered further. The comment frames the import program as both commercial and political, reflecting how vehicle production location is now part of the broader tariff calculus.

Sector-wise, Toyota’s step is notable because it extends a broader pattern of “regionalized” exports, where carmakers adjust manufacturing and shipping plans to match where tariffs are highest and where regulatory testing requirements are easiest. For Japanese consumers, it also means a flagship sedan brand that has long been associated with Japan production will, in part, be supplied from the United States.

Still, key details remain unpublicized in the reporting around the plan. Toyota has not, in the available text, specified trim-by-trim pricing in Japan, the precise ramp schedule beyond the “this autumn” start, or whether any additional U.S. models are contingent on the same trade-policy developments.

What to watch next is Toyota’s execution of the import cadence and whether the Camry’s Japan arrival broadens beyond the projected annual volume. Investors and industry watchers will also look for signs that trade officials respond to the shift, since Toyota’s stated rationale depends on whether the move meaningfully changes the trade balance narrative between the U.S. and Japan.