Toyota to ship U.S.-made cars to emerging markets

[Good Times]

Great news guys! Toyota is upping their production at the Indiana facility to export US made Sequoia and the Sienna to the Middle East and China I'm sure workers and supplies at/for the plant are happy about the news since there's been a good slowdown on vehicle sales in the recent months.

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Toyota plans to prop up production at one of its under-utilized U.S. factories by exporting to the fast-growing markets of the Middle East and China, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported today.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, will begin shipping the Sequoia large SUV to the Middle East some time this year, and the Sienna minivan as early as 2010 to China and other markets, the paper said, without citing sources.

Both models are produced at Toyota's Indiana factory.

A Toyota spokesman said the automaker was always looking for ways to best supply vehicles on a global basis but declined to comment on the report.

With demand for larger vehicles sliding in the United States due to rising fuel prices, Toyota has slowed down production indefinitely at its Indiana and Texas light trucks plants.

Toyota currently sells all vehicles built in the United States inside North America with the exception of the Avalon sedan, which it also exports to the Middle East. Last year, it shipped about 7,000 Avalons to the region.

Source: Autonews.com

[dontdo_that]

nice! jobs are always good. as long as they don't cut the 4runner from the light truck line-up.. or make it a total mall crawler :-P

[Bob98SR5]

coincidentally, i read a report in bid-ness week that their next 2 quarter sales in the US will take a small hit. this definitely fits in w/ this news.