Toyota to Send Cars Built in U.S. to Taiwan

Toyota said Tuesday that it plans to export U.S.-built cars to Taiwan over the next few months, joining a growing list of American and Japanese auto makers that are taking advantage of favorable exchange rates to expand overseas sales of American-produced cars.

Beginning in January, Toyota will ship 300 Camry compact models each month to Taiwan from its new Georgetown, Ky., assembly plant, which opened this fall. By March, Toyota said it will export about 100 Corolla subcompacts monthly to Taiwan from the General Motors-Toyota joint venture plant in Fremont, Calif., as well.

Toyota said its U.S. exports are designed to familiarize customers in Taiwan with Toyota products, before the auto maker begins local production there next year. The U.S.-built cars will also supplement the models to be produced in Taiwan.

First Attempt at Exporting

Taiwan has long placed tight controls over auto imports directly from Japan; Honda also exports American-built cars, rather than Japanese-produced models, to Taiwan.

Toyota first tested its export program for Taiwan in August, when it sent 200 Corolla FX models there from the GM-Toyota joint venture.

The shipments to Taiwan represent Toyota’s first attempt at exporting cars from the United States.

But throughout the U.S. auto industry, exports are soaring.

Honda, for instance, is already exporting U.S.-built cars not only to Taiwan, but to Japan as well. Honda builds its new Accord Coupe only in the United States, and is now selling several thousand U.S.-built models a year in its Japanese home market. The Ford Probe, built for Ford by Mazda in its new American plant, is also targeted for export.

The Big Three U.S. auto makers are rapidly gearing up their long- dormant export operations, thanks to the rapid decline in the value of the dollar over the past three years, which has made American cars relatively cheap overseas.