It’s no surprise that Americans like Japanese cars, trucks, and SUVs. After all, the Toyota RAV4 dethroned the Ford F-150 as the best-selling vehicle in the United States last year. One of the results, however, is something of a trade deficit between Japan and the US. But recent rumblings out of Toyota suggest that the balance could shift as the brand could soon sell cars made in America in Japan. 

Toyota suggested that it will begin selling its cars with a ‘Made in America’ stamp at home in Japan

Japan doesn’t import anywhere near as many vehicles as it exports. Especially when the trade partner in question is the United States. After Mexico, Japan exported the second-greatest number of vehicles to the US. An eye-watering 1.5 million or so vehicles made their way from Japan to American shores last year. As for cars made in America heading to Japan, the number is much, much smaller. 

But that could change soon. Toyota recently hinted that it was willing to sell US-made vehicles in Japan, per Just-Auto. That’s Toyota specifically. And that means the cars in question could be the brand’s own models, made in America at one of the brand’s 14 stateside manufacturing plants and then exported to Japan.

Toyota hopes the move will ease the current economic situation between Japan and the United States. Japan is one of the countries that Donald Trump identifies as having a “substantial advantage” over the US in current trade relations. However, the Trump administration imposed a 25% tariff on imported vehicles and parts from Japan in the hopes that it would prompt the reduction of the trade deficit between the two countries.

This isn’t the first move the Japanese giant has taken to make do with trade concerns. The company recently announced it would move production of its GR Corolla to the UK. And while that isn’t a made-in-America scenario, the current agreement between the US and the UK promises lower tariffs for up to 100,000 UK-built vehicle imports. 

The news also follows the announcement that Toyota Motor Corporation chairperson Akio Toyoda secured reelection for his role. Toyoda became president of Toyota Motor 16 years ago, and more recently took over as the chairman of the company’s board of directors. But his reelection was overshadowed by scrutiny from shareholders surrounding a $33 billion buyout.