U.S. Japanese Auto Sales Rise 4% Despite Trump Tariffs
U.S. new vehicle sales by six Japanese automakers rose 4% in the first nine months of this year to 4,551,879 units, despite mixed impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported vehicles.
Toyota bucked the trend, with sales climbing 7.9% to 1,865,876 units, driven by strong demand for its RAV4 SUV. Honda's sales also rose, up 3.9% to 1,097,999 units, led by a sharp increase in sales of the new Passport SUV. Nissan's sales increased 1.5% to 711,903 units.
Subaru and Mitsubishi, however, saw sales decline, possibly due to the tariffs. Sales of Honda's Prologue electric vehicle surged before U.S. tax credits for EV purchases expired at the end of September. In 2019, Nissan led the Japanese automakers in U.S. electric vehicle sales with its Leaf model, which was the world's top-selling electric car and Europe's bestseller in the first half of 2018.
The varied impacts of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on Japanese automakers' sales highlight the complex nature of global trade dynamics. Despite challenges, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan showed resilience, with Toyota and Honda posting significant sales increases. The future of Subaru and Mitsubishi's U.S. sales remains uncertain, while Honda's electric vehicle sales surged before tax credits expired.
