Autoblog

70% of Japanese vehicles sold in America are built here, too

Zach Bowman — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Nissan, Toyota

A new study by the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association has found 70 percent of Japanese vehicles sold in the U.S. were built on a North American assembly line.

According to TheDetroitBureau.com, the study found that more than 400,000 jobs have been created by Japanese automakers since Honda opened its first facility in the U.S. in 1982. Honda, Toyota and Nissan had a total of 29 plants operating in the U.S. in 2010 with a combined investment of $34 billion. Those numbers are likely to increase in the coming years.

The Japanese Three have made no secret that the companies are looking to guard their operations against an ever-stronger yen. Odds are we'll see even more Japanese facilities open their doors in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. Toyota is slated to open a new line in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Honda is expected to begin assembling the Fit in Mexico soon.

But Toyota, Honda and Nissan aren't just building vehicles in the U.S. for American consumers. Japanese-owned plants here are also producing vehicles for consumption abroad. Last year, a total of 145,000 vehicles were built in the U.S. for foreign markets by Japanese automakers, up from 95,000 units in 2010.

70% of Japanese vehicles sold in America are built here, too originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Japanese automakers will test vehicles for radiation before export

Chris Shunk — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:21:00 EST

Filed under: Japan, Safety, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota

Japan continues to struggle from the effects of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and one of the biggest issues facing the nation has been the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. The facility is now a grade seven nuclear disaster, which puts it on the same scale as the Chernobyl disaster in Russia during the 1980s.

Radiation from the plant has been found in agricultural sources, too, which has prompted 29 countries and regions to suspend or tighten controls on food and dairy products. Bloomberg reports that radiation fears have prompted the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) to begin testing vehicles for radiation prior to shipments at home and abroad. The move follows steps already being taking by Nissan to test all vehicles prior to shipment.

JAMA has mainly decided to perform the radiation checks to calm the nerves of some customers who have asked if their products are still safe, and so far radiation has been negligible. JAMA tells Bloomberg that, at least so far, foreign countries haven't introduced suspensions or strict measures. One container ship was asked to head back to Japan from China after radiation levels of 3.5 microsieverts per hour were detected. The typical X-ray is 100 microsieverts.

[Source: Bloomberg via The Wall Street Journal| Image: AFP/Getty]

Report: Japanese automakers will test vehicles for radiation before export originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This year's Tokyo Motor Show? JAMA Be There (but most of the world's automakers won't)

Chris Paukert — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Marketing/Advertising, Tokyo Motor Show, Earnings/Financials

What if one of the world's preeminent auto nations threw a party and nobody came? That's the question on everyone's minds today as the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) has announced that most of the world's major automakers have decided to sit out this fall's show.

We already knew about the Detroit 3 taking a pass, but now, word from Automotive News is that Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Renault, Volkswagen and Volvo will apparently be skipping out as well. In a news conference that JAMA chairman Satoshi Aoki called a "once-in-a-hundred-years crisis," the organization confirmed to media members that just 122 exhibitors will hawk their wares - nearly half of 2007's total of 241. The departure of those manufacturers represents a loss estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars for JAMA and the local economy (if not more), as costs associated with mounting a single show stand often reaches into seven-figures.

Of those 241 parties that still remain, Japan's eight primary automakers have signed on (Daihatsu, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota), and Hyundai will join as well. On the high-end front, only Alpina, Lotus, Ferrari, Maserati, and Porsche have committed.

Rumors swirled as recently as in January that the show might be canceled altogether, but organizers have evidently decided that a scaled-down show is better than no show at all. Other outlets are reporting that JAMA will reduce the event's Makuhari Messe footprint from four show halls to two. Additionally, public days are reportedly shortening up as well, with the original run of October 23 to November 8 being cut down - the show will now close November 4.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req]

This year's Tokyo Motor Show? JAMA Be There (but most of the world's automakers won't) originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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JAMA says Tokyo Motor Show may be cancelled

Michael Harley — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Japan, Tokyo Motor Show

Blaming the global financial crisis, and the fact that fewer non-Japanese automakers have signed up to exhibit, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association is in the midst of debating whether or not to cancel the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. The show is set to run this Oct. 23-Nov. 8. If canceled, it won't open its doors again until 2011 due to scheduling agreements with other top-tier auto shows. Toshihiro Iwatake, JAMA's executive director and secretary general, told Automotive News that he favors going ahead with the show regardless. "We think the motor show is a symbol of industrial prosperity," he said. "We have to show that our industry is healthy." Iwatake added that the deadline for automakers to register was late last year, and some of the "usual manufacturers" hadn't made the cut... but he wouldn't say which manufacturers hadn't booked the show.

The North American International Auto Show is in full swing this week even with the absence of industry players such as Nissan, Suzuki, Porsche, and Land Rover. Each of the Detroit 3 are strongly present. If one of the Japanese Big 3 (Toyota, Honda, and Nissan) pull out of the Tokyo Motor Show, the event could face certain doom say industry sources. The decision on whether or not to cancel the Tokyo Motor Show will be made next month. In the meantime, Iwatake says that JAMA is welcoming late registrants.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

JAMA says Tokyo Motor Show may be cancelled originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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