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Toyota’s CEO went full MAGA during a red, white and blue NASCAR event in Japan over the weekend, ahead of a major announcement to increase investment in U.S. manufacturing.
Akio Toyoda was spotted at Toyota’s Fuji Speedway on Sunday wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap and a T-shirt supporting President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
In the crowd, spectators waved American flags and U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass made an appearance.
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“I’m not here to argue whether tariffs are good or bad. Every national leader wants to protect their own industry,” Toyoda, a racer and car enthusiast, said ahead of the endurance race, according to Automotive News.
“We are exploring ways to make tariffs a winner for everyone. The people we want most to be winners are our customers,” he added.
Earlier this month, the carmaker said it would invest $10 billion in the U.S. on “future mobility efforts,” weeks after Trump made a similar statement during a visit to Japan.
On Tuesday, Toyota announced a nearly $1 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing to increase hybrid vehicle production.
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“Customers are embracing Toyota’s hybrid vehicles, and our U.S. manufacturing teams are gearing up to meet that growing demand,” Kevin Voelkel, Toyota Motor North America senior vice president of manufacturing operations, said in a release.
“Toyota’s philosophy is to build where we sell, and by adding more American jobs and investing across our U.S. footprint, we continue to stay true to that philosophy,” he added.
Among its investments in the U.S., Toyota will invest $453 million toward its Buffalo, W. Va., plant to increase production of four-cylinder, hybrid-compatible engines.
Another $204 million will go toward the company’s Kentucky plant to ramp up production of 4-cylinder hybrid-compatible engines.
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