Toyota appeals to EU to give preferential treatment to European-made cars, including in Japan

[Brussels Current Affairs] On the 16th, the European subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation released a statement calling for the European Union (EU) to include preferential treatment for automobiles produced in reliable trading partner countries such as Japan, the United Kingdom, and Turkey regarding the draft ``Industrial Acceleration Law'' that the European Union (EU) is considering introducing with the aim of protecting the region's industries. Toyota has assembly plants in the EU, including France and the Czech Republic, as well as in the UK and Turkey.

The bill would require electric vehicles (EVs), which are subject to EU subsidies and public procurement, to be assembled in Europe and to use a certain percentage of European-made parts. Vehicles produced outside the EU, such as Japan, will no longer receive preferential treatment and may be at a competitive disadvantage.

In a statement, Toyota requested that countries that have free trade agreements or customs unions with the EU be included in the preferential treatment. The car market in the EU and these countries combined is approximately 31 million vehicles a year, and he argued that this would ensure the scale necessary for international competition.

Yoshihiro Nakata, president of Toyota's European subsidiary, explained at an event held in Brussels on the 15th that Toyota has invested more than 12 billion euros (approximately 2.13 trillion yen) in Europe since 1990. "Toyota is not a guest of Europe. We are a European automaker that makes important contributions to the auto industry, economy and local communities."