A weak Japanese yen contributed to a significant 13.7 percent increase in exports from Japan during the first six months of 2007. Over 135,000 more cars came to the United States from Japan in the first half of ‘07 than the same time period in ‘06, while production of Japanese cars in the U.S. only increased by 2 percent.
Some high demand cars, like the Toyota Prius, are built in Japan, not the U.S, according to The Detroit News. The weak Japanese yen makes it very profitable for cars to be built in Japan and sold in the U.S. – more so than the cars that are built within U.S. borders.
Critics say that the Japanese carmakers are using the undervalued yen to their advantage, but Toyota, among others, has said that it is increasing its production of cars in the U.S. as well. A Toyota spokesman told The News that Toyota intends to build 600,000 more cars in the United States by 2010 than it is currently building. Toyota said that it doesn’t plan where it will build cars based on currency projections.
The Japanese government has repeatedly denied that it is intentionally manipulating the yen, which has traditionally been undervalued.
The low yen value increases the cost of importing a car into Japan for U.S., Korean and European automakers. But low currency values in China have helped U.S. automakers gain a significant foothold in the fast-growing auto-buying economy.
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07/13, 9:58 AM
posted by:
infamouz9325
first comment well toyota is rapidly decreasing in quality what its known for doing but everyone news hundyai is going to become the new toyota in the next couple of years
07/13, 11:33 AM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
I had a POS toyota back in 90/91.
And they’re getting worse?
07/13, 12:27 PM
posted by:
Random Jerk
Rapidly decreasing quality you say, but rapidly increasing sales would indicate otherwise.
07/13, 1:15 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
ford is not selling **** at all but their quality passes toyota in some lame new surveys. so i dont think sales numbers equal quality they equal old perceptions and customer loyalty.
07/13, 2:06 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
CTS driver: True.
I want to see a survey of what vehicles are traded in most for what brands.
myy guess is more people are switching back & forth between chevrolets and fords (like my mom) or going from a lower priced car like a nissan up to a volvo or what have you.
but i’m sure there are more folks trading touotas in for fords than vice-versa
07/13, 3:23 PM
posted by:
AMGoff
They should raise tariffs on Japanese imports to counteract the Japanese government’s willful manipulation of the yen.
07/13, 4:35 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
Or ban imports outright — honda and toyota would just shift production (rather than assembly) here, and the ports would be a little less clogged. That would cost 0 jobs
07/13, 4:51 PM
posted by:
Veda
“but i’m sure there are more folks trading touotas in for fords than vice-versa”
Unless you got hard facts to back up your claim…
07/13, 6:42 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
just anecdotal evidence. My mom had a toyota and traded it in for a taurus.
That’s why I’d like to see some sort of data from edmunds or some other eggheads. Maybe I’m wrong, but we’ll never know …
07/13, 9:36 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
Of course, Random Jerk, there’s always another gullible Joe Average that’s easily influenced by marketing crap from some companies. > sales != > quality.
07/14, 11:02 AM
posted by:
BLISS
TOYOTA GAIN MORE IN REVENUE
07/14, 12:41 PM
posted by:
AMGoff
WHY MUST BLISS CONSTANTLY SHOUT ON ALL OF HIS COMMENTS!?
07/14, 3:59 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
ROFL…maybe his CAPS LOCK key is stuck.