Honda Flips Script by Exporting Two Vehicles to Japan
For decades Japan’s auto business went in one direction — east. But that’s now going to change as Honda Motor Co. plans to export two U.S.-made vehicles to Japan starting this fall.
Due to changes in trade rules between the U.S. and Japan, the automaker plans to begin shipping the Acura Integra Type S and Honda Passport TrailSport Elite beginning in the second half of the year, according an Automotive News report.
The company didn’t reveal how many vehicles would be shipped, but the move was being made to meet expected demand in Japan for the vehicles and sales would be limited. The Passport is built at Honda’s plant in Lincoln, Alabama, while the Integra — the first-ever Acura exported from the U.S. to Japan — is produced in Marysville, Ohio.
Being built in the U.S. means they are left-hand drive, and they will be exported that way, Automotive News noted. It isn’t the first time Honda’s employed this reverse shift. The company exported Accord coupes to Japan in 1988.
The current move comes after Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism approved finalized details making inspections easier for imported U.S. vehicles, in accordance with a new agreement. The deal means that vehicles that meet U.S. safety standards move right past a slew of emissions, noise, and other tests, the publication noted.
The new standards, which were implemented in mid-February, came as part of a bilateral tariff agreement, where the U.S. lowered tariffs on Japanese-made automobiles from 27.5 percent to 15 percent. Japan also committed to invest $550 billion in the U.S., in areas such as energy infrastructure and production, semiconductor manufacturing and research, and more.
The deal was agreed to last July with the details being worked out after to ensure implementation. It is unclear if there are any volume limits on U.S. vehicles under the terms of the agreement. The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry plans to use U.S.-built vehicles produced by Japanese automakers as official government cars.
[Images: Honda, Acura]
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Michael Strong has spent more than 25 years writing about the automotive industry. A Detroit-area native, he’s written about everything from local car shows to product reviews to financial news. Currently he writes and edits for a variety of national and local publications. He’s also a longtime member of the Automotive Press Association and the International Motor Press Association, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Hail Southern! Despite a love for ’70s land yachts and BMWs from the late ’80s and early ’90s, his personal vehicle is neither of those.
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Interesting that the Passport is going to be exported. That's a pretty big SUV for Japanese roads.
This is nothing new. Honda built 100% of the 1990-1993 Accord station wagons in Ohio, in both RHD and LHD. They were shipped to Japan and Europe.
Terrific wagons.