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Toyota could stop importing certain models to United States if President Donald Trump raises tariffs on cars, while d & # 39; Other cars and trucks that are in the showrooms will be more expensive, according to the automaker's North American director.
The Japanese automaker is actively analyzing scenarios of how tariff regimes could affect each of its lines of cars and trucks, Jim Lentz General Manager of Toyota Operations in North America .
"If it ends up being 10 or 25%, almost by series, we have to evaluate what we are going to do," he said in an interview.
"In some series, we can raise prices.In other series, we can stop imports and consumers will have fewer options."
The Trump Department of Commerce held a hearing Thursday on its investigation to determine whether imports of passenger vehicles endanger US national security. Lentz explained that this idea is totally wrong.
Regarding the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Mexico and Canada, he said he preferred trilateral negotiations and not the separate agreement between the two countries. United States and Mexico. I considered.
Toyota is building its eleventh factory in the United States, an auto assembly plant with Mazda in Huntsville, Alabama. He does not intend to add another production site, said Lentz.
Nevertheless, Toyota imported more than half of the 2.4 million vehicles that it sold in the United States last year, including several of its best-selling and most profitable models. .
The crossover RAV4 became Toyota's leading model model last year in the United States, with a sales increase of 16 percent to about 408 thousand vehicles, which were sent in the countries of Japan and Canada.
Canada also supplied 95% of the approximately 108,000 Lexus RX sport utility vehicles sold last year in the United States. In contrast, about 90% of the more than 387,000 Camry sedans sold in the United States last year were assembled in Kentucky.
Lentz explained that he supported Trump's efforts to help automakers in other areas, such as re-examining fuel economy standards and reducing fuel efficiency rates. ;taxation.
"There are many things that the administration that has created a pretty strong economy," said Lentz, who spoke of Detroit, where the deceased Kiichiro Toyoda who brought the family-owned business of car looms, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. automotive
New charges may have to be taken into account when deciding on locations for future engine or component manufacturing plants, Lentz said.
"Could politics influence this? … could we decide, even if we could build them cheaper elsewhere, to build them in the United States?" Said Lentz.
"It can happen, but you do not want to overdo it, you still have to handle a case," he said.
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