Japanese auto giant Toyota just made a major statement — and not just with a red Trump-Vance shirt and a MAGA hat. Days after CEO Akio Toyoda showed up at a NASCAR event in Japan sporting America-first gear, the company announced nearly $1 billion in new U.S. investments. The move is expected to bring new jobs and stronger manufacturing in several states.
Toyoda’s Trump-themed event at Fuji Speedway featured American flags, NASCAR energy, and U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass. The timing came as the U.S. and Japan navigate heated trade talks heavily focused on autos. Toyoda didn’t shy away from the tariff conversation.
“I’m not here to argue whether tariffs are good or bad. Every national leader wants to protect their own industry,” he said before the race. “We are exploring ways to make tariffs a winner for everyone. The people we want most to be winners are our customers.”
Japan is facing a 15% tariff on auto imports — lowered from 27.5% after a major trade agreement reached in September. Even with the cuts, Toyota is signaling it’s willing to build more inside the U.S. to meet demand and avoid higher costs.
“Start your engines!” Ambassador Glass wrote on X, posting photos from the MAGA-flavored NASCAR event. He said he looks forward to more American motorsports celebrations in Japan next year.
Then came the big news. Toyota announced $912 million in new U.S. investments to expand hybrid production across five American plants. The expansion will create 252 new American manufacturing jobs and pushes Toyota’s total U.S. investment near $60 billion since 1957.
The company is directing huge sums across the South and Midwest. That includes $453 million for the West Virginia plant to expand 4-cylinder hybrid engine assembly. Another $204.4 million will go to Georgetown, Kentucky, for a new machining line producing up to 700,000 hybrid engines a year starting in 2027.
The Troy, Missouri plant will receive $57.1 million for producing over 200,000 cylinder heads annually. Toyota is also pumping new investment into Mississippi and Tennessee to support hybrid-electric Corolla production and critical components.
Toyota dominates the U.S. hybrid market, holding over 51% of sales through the third quarter of 2025. And the company says demand is still rising fast.
“Customers are embracing Toyota’s hybrid vehicles, and our US manufacturing teams are gearing up to meet that growing demand,” said Kevin Voelkel, senior vice president of manufacturing operations. “Toyota’s philosophy is to build where we sell, and by adding more American jobs and investing across our US footprint, we continue to stay true to that philosophy.”