President Donald Trump is counting the cash, and after his trade tariffs threatened to decimate the stock market in his quest to 'make America great again', it seems his gamble is paying off. The President of the United States accused foreign companies of walking all over the USA, and in an attempt to bring manufacturing back to the country, he vowed to hit them where it hurts.
Despite the somewhat comical incident where he tried to levy tariffs on islands inhabited by seals and penguins, his divisive tariffs had the desired effect by bringing business to America.
It once looked like Apple could dodge tariffs by moving manufacturing to India, but with a savvy POTUS giving Tim Cook a stern call, the tech giant announced a bombshell investment of $600 billion into America over the next five years.
During a visit to the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo, Donald Trump admired the nuclear-powered USS George Washington aircraft carrier and told troops that Toyota is about to invest big in the USA.
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Speaking to the crowd about the car manufacturer, Trump explained: "I was just told by the Prime Minister [Sanae Takaichi] that Toyota is going to be putting auto plants all over the United States, to the tune of over $10 billion."
Thanking Japan for its 'big investments', the President cheered: "We like that."
The idea is that Toyota will build manufacturing plants all over the USA. While Trump has continuously promoted the idea of America First, he's since changed his tune and told the troops: "So that’s Toyota, so go out and buy a Toyota."
Despite Takaichi having only just landed the job of Prime Minister, he made a display of American pride for Trump. This includes a giant American-made Ford F-150 truck, which is a wink to the recent idea that the Japanese government could buy a fleet of cars.
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association cites cars as the biggest export to America, and with that amounting to 1.37 million vehicles in 2024, it’s quite impressive. On the reverse, Japan imported fewer than 17,000 American vehicles in the same period.
Japan's narrow roads and small parking spaces are to blame, with the country apparently turning its back on these heavy-duty trucks.
In contrast, smaller European cars from the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are said to be popular choices over there.
The Japan Automobile Importers Association claims that American-made Japanese cars like Honda, Mazda, and Nissan continue to sell, while the best-selling American brand is Jeep.
Trump's latest promotion of Toyota comes after former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba tried to explain why American cars typically don't sell well. Speaking to parliament in April 2025, Ishiba mused: "Why don't American cars sell well in Japan? Because they lack understanding for road conditions and housing situations, as well as energy conservation."
As for Toyota's investment, Trump maintains that money is "pouring into the United States of America," with some $17 trillion supposedly coming in from around the globe: "I think by the time we finish up our first year, we'll be over 20, or $21 trillion of money coming into our country."
This comes after Toyota announced an $88 million investment in hopes of upping hybrid production at a West Virginia plant and securing 2,000 jobs.