Toyota to Slash Exports to U.S.

Toyota Motor Corp. plans within a few years to end its practice of shipping models from Japan to North America if those models also are built in the region, Automotive News reports.

Toyota currently builds most vehicles in the markets where they are sold and imports some vehicles from Japan to supplement local output a strategy known as "bridge manufacturing." But the strong yen has made Japan-built vehicles more expensive overseas.

Shigeki Terashi, president of the company's North America unit, tells AN the models that will no longer be imported from Japan include the Toyota Camry midsize car, Corolla compact and the Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus RX350 crossover vehicles.

Terashi says the company already has abandoned bridge manufacturing for models designed specifically for North America, including the Sienna minivan, Tundra fullsize pickup and Venza midsize crossover. All three are built solely at local factories.