With the rapid decline of SUV and pickup sales in North America, all automakers are left with excess inventory. Toyota announced today that it has struck a deal with its Latin America and Middle East distributors to take over excess Tundra and Sequoia production in order to keep sales high and avoid cutting jobs in the United States.
After a brief negotiation process – which involved Middle Eastern distributors testing Sequoias and Tundras on a closed course in Ohio at the high speeds regularly attained by their buyers – a deal was struck that will see the exportation of Sequoias from North America for the first time ever.
Shipments will begin in December, Toyota says. Initially, the Middle Eastern distributors have ordered 15,000 Sequoias and the Latin American distributors have ordered 150 Sequoias and 1,000 Tundras. The Sequoias will come from Toyota’s Princeton, Indiana, facility and the Tundras will come from the automaker’s San Antonio, Texas, plant.
Toyota says that exportation of the vehicles will help keep jobs at its plants while trimming the product inventory levels in North America.
