Whereas some automakers are divided on whether to invest in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, Toyota is pushing ahead with significant investments in all three countries in a bid to satisfy politicians and consumers alike.
Since being elected POTUS, Donald Trump has frequently expressed his displeasure at automakers electing to invest in Mexico rather than the U.S. Ultimately, he played a role in Ford scrapping plans for a Mexican production facility.
However, Toyota has adopted a different approach. At the time of 2016’s election, the Japanese automaker had already commenced production of a new plant in Mexico to build the ever-popular Corolla. Then, at the start of August, it announced it would invest $800 million in a new factory with Mazda in the United States to build the Corolla while shifting Tacoma production to Mexico.
At the same time, Toyota also intends on expanding its Canadian operations, currently responsible for building the RAV4, Autonews reports.
These investments all come at a time when the politicization of North American car manufacturing is the highest it’s been in recent memory and while NAFTA is being renegotiated, allowing Toyota to appease all three nations.
PHOTO GALLERY
