As Japan tries to placate President Donald Trump amid contentious trade talks, officials may be eyeing an icon of American manufacturing that has virtually no presence there: The Ford F-150 pickup truck.
Japanese auto brands such as Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi and Subaru are ubiquitous in the United States, where Japan exported over 1.37 million vehicles last year, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA). Cars are Japan’s top export to the U.S., though according to JAMA most Japanese cars sold there are actually assembled in North America.
By contrast, Japanese brands account for more than 90% of new cars sold in Japan, which imported fewer than 17,000 American vehicles last year, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association.
The Trump administration has been pushing Japan to buy more American cars, including as part of a trade deal announced in July that imposed a 15% tariff on Japanese autos and auto parts. A joint statement on the agreement published last month said Japan would allow vehicles built and certified for safety in the U.S. to be sold in the country without additional testing. In August, Trump suggested that there would soon be a market in Japan for American cars, specifically the Ford F-150.
Reuters reported this week that Ford F-150s were part of a purchase package being finalized to present to Trump during talks in Tokyo next week, citing two sources with knowledge of the preparations. It said the trucks might be used in Japan as snow plows.
Local media in Japan have also said the government is considering buying the trucks. Japanese officials have not confirmed the reports, and the new trade minister, Ryosei Akazawa, was not asked about them at his first news conference on Friday.
Ford did not respond to an emailed request for comment. In 2016, the company said that it would close all operations in Japan, saying it had struggled to gain market share and saw “no reasonable path to profitability.”
Posted by John3262005
2 Comments
I seem to recall that in order to register a car in Japan, you must demonstrate that you have adequate off-street parking for that vehicle (EG a garage). On street parking is quite rare.
Where is the typical Japanese home going to find space for a yank tank?
The Japanese people yearn for behemoths that burn fuel like a drunk goes through booze and that can’t fit in any parking space in Japan.