http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070302/...ota_backlash_4

 

Well it seems to be mostly political rhetoric like usual. Its hard to correct for mistakes in trade policy that should've been done years back when Toyota didn't have the foothold it does now in the US. Adding some tariff would hurt American jobs too. If they would've evened up the game a long time ago and made the playing field more in line with domestic brands then Toyota wouldn't have gotten where they are here already and this wouldn't be an issue. So Toyota brags that they have brought 386,000 jobs to the US. I wonder how many they have pushed out from domestic brands?? If the numbers are equal or in favor of Toyota then this issue isn't a big deal. But if not and I don't think it is then this is a bigger deal and should've been addressed....

If GM, Ford and Chysler all close down or go bankrupt Toyota can talk all they want about new jobs because it won't matter unless they make more than whats lost and that won't happen. Congrats to Toyota to the winner go the spoils and I do mean spoils!

 

Only in “Washington-speak” could an article carry these two statements and not see just how contradictory they are…last time I checked, if 46% of the vehicles you sell in the U.S. were imported (meaning 54% were not imported) then “most of their vehicles” can NOT be “coming from Japan” unless you consider “46%” to be most!

These are the people making our laws...God help us all.

 

"386,000. Bird watchers in Nebraska. Kilometers to the Moon. Jobs created by Toyota in the U.S."

Um, are they really "created" if those jobs were once at GM, Ford or Chrysler? Perhaps a more accurate term would be "transferred" jobs.

 

I like the cut of your jib.

I have a feeling that as GM continues to sort itself out (For example, I've noticed that no one seems to post those "GM Deathwatch" articles anymore...), and as Toyota faces more and more recalls, this "Toyota Threat" will sorta fade into the background.

 

But are the 54% US made or are some of them made elsewhere other than the US? (I don't know myself).
If 10% or 20% are being made elsewhere than they are still imported and the 46% from Japan would still be the highest percentage.

 

Toyota is as American as Apple Pie:

ohh its not over by a longshot Jim..Toyota is not done at all. But the reports coming out now. This is the 8-9 one I have read in the last 3 months from different places that states there is something wrong on this "level" playing field. There is.

Now I know the U.S. Car makers messed up in the 80's and so on they deserve the problem of reliability they got from that era. It has come and gone and actually some nameplates surpass the imports they once were beaten out by in quality. The unions are a dance partner that are dipping when they should be twirling messing everything up, why? they have no concept of taking two to tango the right way. Last is this practice that the import companies are using that shows leaps and bounds that there is something wrong.

Now first off is the importing. Sure importing is fine but to build here. And also import cus its supply and demand?? Not a chance. Its all numbers and if it was the case the factories here would be pumping them out not importing them. It IS cheaper to import the cars than to make them here as pointed out in the reports like this one given the advantage of the weaker yen. Kinda funny that its not recognized when Toyota makes record profits every month. Its not from sales but where they make the cars they sell.
Sure they are building these new factories in the South. Great they know they are getting cheap labor in a new area. Well, what about those 400K jobs lost in communities up north. Sure Toyota is spouting off about making jobs for people. IN THE SOUTH. WHY??? CHEAPER, new everything and they can build up a community.
What would impress me is and would not be so harsh is if Toyota took the closed factories from one of the big three and used that as the calling card of hey were helping America see were helping existing metropolis' stay alive and be part of this economy. Nope not doing it that way. See the problem is these closed factories some have been around since the golden days of the big 3. Whole cities, town and heck states thrived and built up around these factories. Millions of jobs, from mom and pop stores to corporations thrived. business that work directly or not so much with them thrived from these factories churning out cars. And suburbs that built up families and traditions of generations relied on these now vacant factories that litter the northern part of the U.S. These are the jobs Toyota took away. Yes, as said before the U.S. automaker has its faults but import companies coming in here is one big problem with it. They go into the South, where it is cheap. they find viable markets that can sustain a growth of a new factory. Places that have workforce's that can do the jobs. The problem is these town and cities in the South. They have survived for years on an economy that never needed a car factory. Yet creating almost 400K jobs here is all right where the generations of families the depended on these factories lay vacant? What good is that doing us? None! Don't you think Toyota knows this? They are using us like a sponge. They do not care as long as the cars are sold. Sure the same argument can be said about the U.S. makers but you know what. They are our own and the generations of families would still be thriving if we did not give into the false helpfulness of import companies. You want to impress me Toyota convert a few old Detroit factories to pump out your cars in the North and them I might think twice about what your tactics are. But they stand very obvious. Toyota is in it to win and control not just a global market but the U.S. market. Great a foreign power dictating what Americans drive. That makes me feel great. One of our last great liberties is having a U.S. car company make is a car. Take that away and what? We were the ones that created this whole genre of cars for the masses. Before then it was for the rich. Were giving what Henry Ford started away to cheap labor and an expanding invasion by a foreign nameplate that people think is as American as the flag we fly?? (sure the U.S. makers can do the same but agin its that two step with the Unions that is messing up the dance.)
Our government is supposed to protect our nations best interest. Not line the pockets of supporters of foreign companies eroding one of our biggest assets of our economy. Yes, they should look into this. There should be legislation into the practices of what is going on. Is it cry wolf?? or is it really happening? Toyota has thought this through very well and knows what it is doing. Building factories here while still importing huge amounts of product to this country. This helps out who more? Profits are sky high in the U.S. while the big 2.5 have a huge uphill battle that is in part the "level" playing field. The field is not level, the government that is sworn to protect and uphold the values of this country are not doing so. This country need to wake up and realize that yes Toyota is doing a great job. But at what? Helping us or milking us for all its worth. the trade laws have benefited the import companies for the longest time as you can see by the astronomical numbers posted by Toyota??? and its time to change and help the auto companies that were born here and not help competition from other shores.
What pride do we have left if we don't have some for our own people.

 

Well said CAPS. Ive complained about the un-even playing field in the auto industry for a long time. Its just funny that a company can import half of their products and turn a huge profit and then in turn build factories here to plant a permanent foothold and appear "part of the gang".

But yet our own homegrown companies have to ship production offshore just to turn a minimum profit on some products. Indeed Robert, God help us all and wtf has this country come to?

I have no issues against imports being here, hell more choices for everyone. But damn, level the playing field a bit so our OWN manufacturers dont have to scrap for anything possible to make a profit and get some headway.

 

In which case it should not affect our economy what so ever...Well, actually our economy might grow a bit from those tearing down GM's plants and building Toyota's.

 

77

go read my post above and see how that would not effect our economy?? It sure does..

 

It is not an ambiguous term…”imported” means it was not made in the U.S. The Senator quoted in the article is either stupid or simply sees no problem saying whatever advances her agenda; neither would surprise me but both possibilities should bother people.

On average, the “foreign” nameplates build much more than 50% of the vehicles sold in the U.S. in the U.S.; for some nameplates, the percentage built here is almost 80%. However, the demand for Toyota vehicles in the past year or so outstripped its ability to meet the demand with their U.S. capacity so a greater percentage of vehicles than normal were imported.

 

I read an article once that suggested that Toyota, Honda, etc. built plants in the US, starting in the 80's in large part because of flak from the big three and politicians.

It also suggested that all this new capacity was what allowed them to take so much market share so quickly. If they had never built the factories here in the 80's, they'd not have nearly the capacity here (or in Japan) that they do now.

Food for thought.

 

Imported means it was not made in the US... but Canada part of North America, and as far as the auto industry is concerned, US and Canada enjoy a defacto relationship. People like to use stats to suit their sometimes feeble arguments to mask known political agendas. Not mentioning any names but Nashville might as well be Tokyo.

 

It wasn't from "flack"; it was one very quantifiable reason; they built here to save money.

Aside from significant transportation expense they avoided, Detroit had asked for and received a lot of protection in the form of tarrifs/taxes/duties all of which didn't apply to a vehicle not imported.

 

If you have a problem with my facts, then prove them wrong; in the meantime I don’t need an Australian to tell me I’m not “American” enough for him.

Any vehicle built by anybody in the U.S. (be it GM, Ford, Honda, Toyota or anyone else) is a hell of a lot more “American” and a hell of lot better FOR America than an imported vehicle (and that includes the Australian stuff GM is bringing here).