Toyota announced on 24th that in the autumn of 2019 the production capacity at the factory in Indiana State will be increased by 40,000 units from now and will hire 400 new people, officially announced. The investment amount is about 600 million dollars (about 68 billion yen). President Trump will respond to this as automakers seek employment growth in the United States. The "US first" principle stated by the Trump regime has also reached Japanese companies.
The current production capacity of the Indiana plant currently employing about 5,000 people is seen as 400,000 a year. Expand the line that makes "highlander" of multipurpose sports car (SUV). In the United States where gasoline depreciation continues, popularity is concentrated in large vehicles such as SUVs. Toyota explains the reasons for the increase in production, "to respond to the high demand of highlanders."
Toyota has four factories in four states in the United States including Kentucky. Indiana Province is Vice President Penns who served as a governor until recently and is one of the most important provinces for Toyota under the Trump regime. Toyota president Akio Toyoda has talks with Mr. Pence before his inauguration at Washington on the 10th.
President Trump has criticized Toyota's construction of Mexico factory "as impossible!" On the 5th before taking office. In response, Toyota announced a policy to invest 10 billion US dollars in the next five years on the 9th. Although this increase production is part of that, it is not clear whether President Toyota reported the plan in a meeting with Mr. Pence.
On April 24, a recital was held inviting local officials in the factory premises of Indiana State. Governor Eric Holcomb of the same state said "I appreciate you for choosing Indiana for scale expansion."
A strategy of "oral intervention" that aims at the automobile industry and encourages employment increase has been continued from President Trumpu before his inauguration. Mr. Mitsui met with the top three US automobile companies including General Motors (GM) and Ford Motor Co., Ltd. again, requesting "to build a new factory" and investment expansion in the US again.
Source:http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLASGN24H5E_U7A120C1000000/
感想
トランプ制限になって、大きく日本の企業が行動方針を決めた最初の事例となります。トヨタほどの企業が今後の展開を打ち出したことにより、他の日系企業も、続々と方針を打ち出すことが期待されますね！