Nissan joins Toyota, Honda in plans to export U.S. cars to Japan

DETROIT — Nissan Motor plans to join fellow Japanese automakers Toyota Motor and Honda Motor in exporting U.S.-produced vehicles to Japan following changes to the country’s vehicle import rules reached through a trade deal last year by the Trump administration.

The company on Tuesday said it will import the midsize Nissan Murano, built in Smyrna, Tennessee, to Japan beginning early next year. It marks the first American-made Nissan sold in Japan since the 1990s, according to a Nissan spokeswoman.

“With the introduction of this model, Nissan aims to further strengthen its product lineup in Japan and meet the diverse needs of Japanese customers,” Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa said in a statement.

Nissan is the latest Japanese automaker to announce such plans after changes to regulations meant automakers could more easily import vehicles from the U.S. to Japan. Those rules were put in place as part of a trade deal that also included easing U.S. tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump.  

Under the new Japanese regulations that were confirmed last month, U.S.-made vehicles don’t have to meet the country’s vehicle certification as long as they comply with American standards.

Nissan confirmed plans to import the Murano from the U.S. with the steering wheel on the left-hand side of the vehicle, which is typical for Americans but not in the Japanese market.

Automakers typically have to tailor vehicles to meet safety and other regulations for different countries globally. They can range from things such as lighting and side mirrors to more complex parts such as the location of the steering wheel.

Nissan’s decision follows Toyota announcing plans in December to begin exporting the Camry sedan, Highlander SUV and Tundra pickup from the U.S. to Japan beginning this year.

Honda — Japan’s second-largest automaker behind Toyota — earlier this month also announced plans to export the U.S.-built Acura Integra Type S and Honda Passport TrailSport Elite SUV to Japan beginning in the second half of this year.

While plans for such exports from the U.S. to Japan likely help with trade relations between the countries, the number of vehicles to be imported may not be meaningful, experts said.

About 95% of the Japanese market is made up of locally produced vehicles, leaving less than a quarter of a million units for imports from all around the world, and a majority of those are from Germany, according to Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions.

Vehicles sold under U.S. brands, including models built in other countries, are a small fraction of that group, including roughly 8,700 Jeeps and 500 Cadillacs, according to Fiorani.

Many of the vehicles planned to be imported to Japan also are considered big or not mainstream for Japanese consumers, according to Stephanie Brinley, a principal automotive analyst at S&P Global Mobility.

“These vehicles are still — with the exception of the Integra — are relatively large for Japan. I think they’re still going to be niche, low-volume products within that market,” she said. “But because they are a little bit different and a little bit bigger, they can position them as a special halo product in Japan.”