WASHINGTON Newly released 2012 data from the Japanese auto industry in the United States demonstrates an across-the-board recovery from the U.S. recession and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) USA office.
Data involving production in the United States and exports from Japan to the United States reveals that numbers are up from 2011, and U.S. exports from Japanese auto plants in the U.S. along with Japanese purchases of U.S. automotive parts are at an all-time high, JAMA reports. The percentage of Japanese-brand vehicles sold in the U.S. that are produced in North America has reached a record high of 70 percent as well, according to the association.
“This 2012 data shows the depth of the partnership between the United States and the Japanese auto industry here,” said Ron Bookbinder, general director of JAMA USA. “From production to exports, parts and employment, the Japanese auto industry continues to make a dynamic contribution to a recovering American economy. In fact, we have three distinct record highs: the percentage of Japanese-brand vehicles sold in the U.S. that are produced in North America, parts purchases and U.S. exports from Japanese auto plants. The industry looks forward to continuing its significant economic contributions to the United States in the years to come.”