Toyota to Sell U.S.-Built Camry, Highlander, Tundra in Japan from 2026

Toyota announces plans to export Camry, Highlander, and Tundra from U.S. manufacturing plants to Japan starting in 2026, marking a reversal of traditional import flows.

Toyota will export Kentucky-built Camry, Indiana Highlander, and Texas Tundra to Japan from 2026
Tundra full-size pickup enters Japanese market for the first time in model history
Canadian production and sales operations remain unaffected by the export announcement

Toyota has announced plans to introduce three vehicles manufactured at its American plants to the Japanese domestic market beginning in 2026. The Camry sedan, Highlander SUV, and Tundra full-size pickup will become the first U.S.-produced Toyota models sold in Japan as part of efforts to address bilateral trade relations.

Each of the three models originates from a different Toyota manufacturing facility in the United States:

Model	Vehicle Type	U.S. Production Facility
Camry	Sedan (Hybrid-Only)	Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK), Georgetown
Highlander	Three-Row SUV	Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana (TMMI)
Tundra	Full-Size Pickup	Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (TMMTX), San Antonio

The initiative coincides with a new regulatory framework under consideration by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, developed following bilateral negotiations between the two countries.

The Camry and Highlander were previously sold in Japan before their respective withdrawals. Toyota discontinued Japanese Camry sales in 2023, while the Highlander, marketed domestically as the Kluger, left the Japanese lineup in 2007.

The current-generation Camry is now hybrid-only in the North American market, produced at Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky facility alongside the RAV4 Hybrid. The model has maintained its position as a top-selling vehicle in the American market for multiple consecutive years. The Highlander, a popular three-row midsize SUV, is available with petrol-only and hybrid powertrains.

Unlike its sedan and SUV counterparts, the Tundra full-size pickup has never been available to Japanese buyers. The San Antonio, Texas plant also produces the Sequoia full-size SUV on the same body-on-frame platform.

The Toyota Tundra will be an odd duck in Japan; however, the automaker attributes the truck’s potential Japanese appeal to shifting lifestyle patterns, including increased interest in outdoor recreation and adventure activities.

The Japan export announcement does not affect Toyota’s North American manufacturing or sales operations. Canadian buyers continue to receive Camry, Highlander, and Tundra models from U.S. plants, consistent with current supply patterns.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) operates three plants in Cambridge and Woodstock, Ontario, producing the RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, and Lexus NX and RX crossovers for North American distribution. The RAV4 remains the only Toyota-branded vehicle currently assembled in Canada; plug-in variants, including the RAV4 PHEV, continue to be sourced from Japan.