Funny how things turn out. Once upon a time, Americans were afraid that imports, and especially the ones from Japan, would wipe out the domestic industry. Today, all major players from Japan build many of their cars in the States, and not only that, but they also export their goods to other markets.
On Thursday, Toyota announced that it will begin exporting the new generation of its U.S.-built 2014 Corolla compact sedan to 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, beginning from next year.
Toyota said that once it begins manufacturing the Corollas in April 2014 at it’s Tupelo, Mississippi plant, it expects to export more than 7,500 sedans to Latin America and the Caribbean during the first year of sales, further lifting the brand’s all-time record export of more than 124,000 U.S.-assembled vehicles to 21 global markets in 2012, up 45 percent over 2011.
“Toyota’s U.S. manufacturing operations continue to grow as a key supplier of cars and trucks for global markets, which is only possible thanks to the dedication and high-quality work of our team members here,” said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota’s North America Region. “The export of U.S.-built Corolla sedans to Latin America and the Caribbean will help to further solidify our U.S. manufacturing base.”
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