Toyota is expanding its US production, doubling the size of its Texas plant by 2030.
Nearly five years after moving all of its mid-size truck production to Guanajuato, Mexico, Toyota announced this week that it will bring the majority of that production back to the United States as part of a $3.6 billion expansion of its San Antonio, Texas plant. The move comes after the world’s current largest automaker said in November that it would invest $10 billion in its US operations by 2030.
The billion-dollar investment will add a second assembly line to the San Antonio facility. In the process, Toyota says it will add 2,000 jobs to the local economy, as well as increase its total production to 150,000 units annually. The company currently manufactures the full-size Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV at the plant, which moved up for allocation in late 2021. Tacoma Production down to Mexico. Now, days after the US refused to extend the key United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the company announced its effort to shift production back from Baja California.
The current trade agreement, barring changes or a breakdown in annual negotiations as the three countries work toward a long-term renewal, is still in place for the next 10 years.
“By expanding our San Antonio plant, we are deepening our commitment to American manufacturing, creating meaningful and sustainable jobs, while furthering our mission of delivering high-quality vehicles that meet the changing needs of customers today and in the future.”
Since opening its Texas facility in 2003, Toyota says it has invested $8.3 billion in the existing 2,000-acre site. With this latest expansion, the plant could eventually grow to 6,000 workers, supported by 23 on-site suppliers as the automaker centralizes its three-row, body-on-frame SUVs as well as its popular midsize and full-size truck offerings.
Even with the move, Toyota says it remains “committed to its operations” across North America, including Canada and Mexico. To that end, it will still build some Tacoma trucks at the Guanajuato plant, although it appears that these trucks will No Instead, trucks for the US market will come from San Antonio, although Toyota says the full transformation will take about four years to complete.
