Toyota Will Move its Latin America Headquarters to Argentina and not Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Mauricio Macri welcomed the head of Toyota Motor Corporation, Takeshi Uchiyamada, who announced that the company will transfer the operations of its Division for Latin America and the Caribbean (LACD) from Japan to Argentina and will generate new jobs in the country.

The meeting took place at the presidential residence in Olivos, where the head of state was joined by the Minister of Production and Labour, Dante Sica. The company’s CEO for Latin America and the Caribbean, Masahiro Inoue, and the head of Toyota Argentina, Daniel Herrero, also participated.

Toyota’s new office in Argentina will coordinate the operation of 37 of the company’s independent distributors in 36 countries in the region.

Toyota has been operating in Latin America and the Caribbean for 66 years, with branches in 39 countries. It has four vehicle production plants, two auto parts plants, and a training center in the region.

The decision to transfer some of its operations from Tokyo to its Zárate plant in the province of Buenos Aires will enable the recruitment of more staff and encourage the development of Argentinian professionals.

Uchiyamada emphasized president Macri’s “strong leadership” concerning the steps the Government is taking in favor of broader trade openness and expressed gratitude for the incentive policies implemented in the development of vehicles with new technologies.

The president of Toyota, also a member of the Hydrogen Council, added that the initiative “will promote joint efforts between Argentina and Japan in the search for new business opportunities for hydrogen production and export.”

The project seeks to pursue the brand’s growth and train Argentinian professionals to strengthen its entire operation.

Dealer sales of automotive dealerships in Argentina shot up 30.6 percent in June over the previous month, the first increase since March, driven by the government’s discount program to encourage the sector, reported the Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ADEFA).

Brazil’s car market is about four times bigger than that of Argentina. Seventy percent of Argentine car production goes to Brazil. Toyota maintains a large production facility in the province of Buenos Aires.