Toyota to Invest 3.6 B. Dlrs for Plant Expansion in Texas

(The second paragraph should have read, “…transfer the production of…,” instead of as sent. A substitute story follows.) Toyota to Invest 3.6 B. Dlrs for Plant Expansion in Texas New York, July 6 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. will invest 3.6 billion dollars to expand its plant in San Antonio in the U.S. state of Texas by adding a vehicle assembly line, a U.S. subsidiary said Monday. The group plans to transfer the production of the Tacoma pickup truck, a popular model in the United States, from Baja California, northern Mexico, to San Antonio, creating some 2,000 jobs there, Toyota Motor North America Inc. said. Almost all Tacoma vehicles are sold in the United States. Toyota decided the transfer in line with its policy of manufacturing vehicles where they are sold, an official said. Another reason is to respond to changes in the trade environment, the official added. The investment is part of the group’s plan to invest up to 10 billion dollars additionally in the United States, which was announced in 2025. The Baja California plant will not be closed. Toyota will consider how to utilize the site. Toyota also builds the Tacoma in its plant in Guanajuato, central Mexico. The plant will continue its Tacoma production. President Donald Trump’s administration urges manufacturers including automakers to expand production in the country. Meanwhile, uncertainty is increasing over the trade environment in North and Central America, as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative expressed opposition to the idea of extending the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement to 2042 at the first joint review meeting for the free trade pact Wednesday. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]