Nissan to Hike Purchase of U.S., Foreign Parts

Nissan Motor Co. announced Friday that it would sharply increase the amount of foreign- and U.S.-made auto parts it buys, becoming the first Japanese auto maker to announce goals for such purchases.

Nissan said it will purchase about $4.3 billion in foreign-made auto parts over the next four years, Japan’s Jiji Press reported. U.S.-made auto parts will account for $3.4 billion of the total, the report said.

Nissan, the world’s fourth largest auto maker, said the plan is conditional upon the ability of its American production affiliates to run at full capacity and increased efficiency, Jiji said.

Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry has urged Japanese auto makers to import a greater share of their auto components from abroad to dampen trade friction. U.S. officials have criticized Japan for its relatively low level of imported auto parts.