A Toyota Motor Corp. brand is seen on a automobile on the Worldwide Auto Present in Mexico Metropolis, Mexico November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Henry Romero
APASEO EL GRANDE, Mexico (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp will ramp up manufacturing at its new Mexican plant to 100,000 automobiles a yr by 2021, marking a serious step to shift manufacturing of its standard Tacoma pickup truck to Mexico from the USA, the corporate stated on Thursday.
The plant within the central state of Guanajuato, together with an older facility close to the U.S. border, will convey Toyota’s Mexican manufacturing to 266,000 vehicles a yr when at full capability, the corporate added.
Toyota stated it expects to ship 95% of pickups from the 2 vegetation to the USA, the place the automaker offered practically 249,000 Tacomas final yr, up 1.3%.
“Tacoma manufacturing shall be concentrated proper right here in Mexico,” stated Christopher Reynolds, a chief administrative officer for Toyota in North America, at an occasion to inaugurate the Guanajuato plant.
“What this implies is that the Mexican manufacturing amenities of Toyota will construct all of the Tacomas that serve the mid-size pickup phase within the North American market.”
Toyota beforehand stated it might transfer Tacoma manufacturing from the USA to Mexico because it adjusts manufacturing round North America.
Japan’s largest automaker pumped $700 million into the Guanajuato website, which started working final December. Toyota started making Tacoma vehicles in 2003 at its plant in Mexico’s northern border metropolis of Tecate, the place final yr it turned out near 167,000 pickups.
Automotive exports from Mexico fell for the primary time in a decade final yr, dragged down by weak demand from exterior the USA, and trade teams mission one other drop in 2020.
Reporting by Anthony Esposito, Writing by Daina Beth Solomon; Enhancing by Dan Grebler
