Toyota Motor announced on Monday a massive $3.6 billion investment to repatriate the production of its Tacoma midsize pickup truck from Mexico to its manufacturing campus in San Antonio, Texas.
The addition of 2,000 employees will significantly increase the payroll at the San Antonio campus, which currently supports a portion of Toyota’s 48,000-person U.S. workforce.
The move essentially insulates one of Toyota's most popular models from the uncertainties of future international trade negotiations.
This approach is currently paying dividends as the growth rate for EVs has slowed, while hybrid sales have seen a surge in consumer interest.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Japanese manufacturers faced similar trade pressures, leading to the establishment of the original "transplant" factories across the U.S.
Toyota will invest $3.6 billion to move Tacoma pickup manufacturing from Mexico to Texas, creating 2,000 jobs by 2030 amid trade policy shifts.