Toyota to Bolster Pickup Production at Mexico Plants

Toyota plans to spend about $1.45 billion to increase its production of pickup trucks in Mexico, company officials recently announced.

The funding will go toward modernizing Toyota plants in Guanajuato and in Baja, California, to produce the Japanese automaker’s Tacoma models, including the newest generation of the pickup and a hybrid electric variant.

Adding 1,600 Jobs

The bulk of the funding — around $1.1 billion — will go to the Toyota plant in Apaseo el Grande, according to FreightWaves. The factory in Guanajuato currently makes about 100,000 Tacoma trucks per year for the U.S. auto market. About 450 jobs are expected to be added to the facility’s current workforce of 1,700.

The remaining $336 million will increase the production of Tacoma vehicles at the company’s factory in Tijuana. That plant, which makes some 130,000 pickups per year, would see increase its workforce from 2,000 to 3,200.

Committing to Mexico’s Auto Industry

The announcement dramatically increases Toyota’s investment in Mexico, where it has spent around $2 billion in total across more than two decades. Toyota officials said in a statement that the move affirms its commitment both to Mexico’s automotive sector and its overall economic growth.

Trade Changes Ahead?

The projects come amid vows from President-elect Donald Trump to raise tariffs on goods imported into the U.S. — including those from Mexico, the nation’s top trading partner.

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