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Japanese auto giant Toyota on Tuesday announced that it will be pledging nearly $1 billion in additional U.S. investments, a move that is expected to generate dozens of jobs across several states. The announcement comes days after Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda donned a red Trump-Vance t-shirt and a red MAGA hat while hosting a NASCAR event in Japan.
Sunday’s Trump-themed event at Toyota’s Fuji Speedway featured top drivers, a crowd waving American flags and an appearance from US Ambassador to Japan George Glass, according to a report from the New York Post. The leading auto industry executive addressed emerging trade negotiations between the U.S. and Japan, much of which has focused on automotive imports, with the event.
“I’m not here to argue whether tariffs are good or bad. Every national leader wants to protect their own industry,” Toyoda said ahead of the endurance race. “We are exploring ways to make tariffs a winner for everyone. The people we want most to be winners are our customers,” he added.
US Ambassador George Glass poses for a photo with Toyota CEOAkio Toyoda at a NASCAR event on Sunday
Photo: @usambjapan via Instagram
Japan is currently facing a 15 percent baseline tariff on auto imports, down from an initial figure of 27.5 percent following a sweeping trade agreement inked back in September.
“Start your engines! A day of spectacular [NASCAR] racing at Fuji Speedway with [Toyota] Chairman Akio Toyoda,” Glass posted on X Sunday alongside photos from the event. Looking forward to celebrating the culture of 🇺🇸 motorsports again next year, as part of our [America 250] festivities in Japan 🇯🇵 next year!”
Toyota, which currently stands as the second-largest seller of new vehicles in the United States behind General Motors, followed up the event by announcing a new, $912 million investment that will expand its hybrid vehicle production across five manufacturing plants in the United States.
The initiative will create 252 new manufacturing jobs, reinforcing Toyota’s commitment to American workers and bringing its total U.S. investment since 1957 close to $60 billion. Tuesday’s announcement falls in line with a broader pledge of up to $10 billion over the next five years.
The funds target key facilities in the southern United States, including $453 million to the Buffalo, West Virginia plant for 4-cylinder hybrid engine assembly operation; $204.4 million to the Georgetown, Kentucky plant for a new machining line producing up to 700,000 hybrid-compatible engines annually starting in 2027; $57.1 million to the Troy, Missouri plant for cylinder head production exceeding 200,000 units yearly from 2027; and investments in the Blue Springs, Mississippi and Jackson, Tennessee plants for hybrid components and the hybrid-electric Corolla lineup.
Toyota currently stands as the leader in hybrid vehicle production in the United States, accounting for more than 51 percent of the current market share through the third quarter of 2025, according to Motor Intelligence Data.
“Customers are embracing Toyota’s hybrid vehicles, and our US manufacturing teams are gearing up to meet that growing demand,” Kevin Voelkel, senior vice president of manufacturing operations, said in a statement. “Toyota’s philosophy is to build where we sell, and by adding more American jobs and investing across our US footprint, we continue to stay true to that philosophy.”