Activities by Region
Latin America
Latin America has one of the oldest records in Toyota's history of expansion into overseas markets, second only to Southeast Asia.
Starting with its entry in Brazil in 1958, its first full-scale launch of overseas production operations after World War II, Toyota has actively pursued localized production in Peru, Venezuela, and other countries in this region as a response to these countries' domestication policies.
Localized production and sales in Latin America gained traction in the latter half of the 1990s amidst economic crisis. In 2000, Toyota launched businesses with a view to increasing its presence across the region. In 2005, Toyota began production of Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle (IMV) models in Argentina, which has become a global production center that ranks alongside Thailand, Indonesia, and South Africa where Toyota is also now promoting exports to other countries.
- *
- Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle
Puerto Rico
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
---|---|---|
1956
|
November
|
Exports to Puerto Rico commenced with six Land Cruisers
|
1965
|
January
|
Distribution agreement signed with Gomez Hermanos
|
1968
|
December
|
Corolla introduced
|
1977
|
December
|
Toyota achieves No. 1 market share
|
1979
|
September
|
Front-wheel-drive compact car, Tercel introduced
|
1981
|
April
|
Toyota places self-imposed limit on passenger car exports (70,000 units a year; ended in March 1985)
|
1985
|
August
|
Tercel hatchback introduced
|
1987
|
February
|
Tercel two-door coupe introduced
|
1991
|
|
Lexus sales commenced in Puerto Rico
|
1994
|
June
|
Toyota de Puerto Rico, Corp. (TdPR; wholly owned subsidiary of TMC) established
|
1999
|
July
|
TdPR acquires TMS
|
2004
|
|
Scion sales commenced in Puerto Rico
|
2005
|
December
|
Share of Puerto Rican market tops 30% for the first time
|
Peru
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
---|---|---|
1957
|
April
|
Exports to Peru commenced with six Land Cruisers
|
1963
|
July
|
Lima Representative Office opened (closed in June 1977)
|
1966
|
August
|
Equity stake acquired in Toyota del Peru (TDP; 50%)
|
1967
|
April
|
TDP assembly plant commences operations, begins Corona and Stout assembly
|
1970
|
June
|
Toyota participates in international bid for assembly plant (five companies including TDP win bid in 1971)
|
1979
|
November
|
CBU import ban lifted (reinstituted in December 1984)
|
1983
|
December
|
Toyota achieves No. 1 market share
|
1985
|
December
|
Hilux assembly commenced
|
1989
|
|
Toyota captures 45% share of CKD market
|
1990
|
February
|
Cumulative production tops 80,000 units
|
October
|
Cumulative sales tops 100,000 units
|
|
1991
|
April
|
Corona production terminated due to decreased CKD competitiveness
|
June
|
Hilux production terminated; plant operations suspended
|
|
1993
|
|
Customer Information Center opened
|
1994
|
June
|
Line-off ceremony for CKD Stout held
|
1997
|
|
30th anniversary celebration held
|
1998
|
February
|
Used car modification business launched at TACNA
|
March
|
TDP plant closed completely
|
|
|
Business focus shifted to CBU imports and sales
|
|
1999
|
|
TDP plant sold to Japanese chemical manufacturer
|
|
Equity stake increased (USD 8 million)
|
|
2000
|
|
TACNA's modification plant closed
|
2007
|
|
40th anniversary celebration held
|
2011
|
|
Toyota achieves 20 consecutive years of holding the largest share of the market
|
Venezuela
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
---|---|---|
1956
|
February
|
Exports to Venezuela commenced with two Land Cruisers
|
1962
|
August
|
CKD export contract signed with Tocars
|
1963
|
January
|
ES begins Land Cruiser assembly
|
1971
|
September
|
Assembly moved from ES to INDEMACA (terminated in August 1983)
|
1981
|
November
|
Tocars assembly plant commences operations (spun off as Serenca in February 1982)
|
1982
|
September
|
Caracas Representative Office opened
|
1987
|
|
CKD production of Corolla vehicles commenced
|
1989
|
November
|
Toyota acquires equity stake in Tocars
|
1992
|
September
|
Tocars changes name to Toyota de Venezuela Compania Anonima (TDV)
|
1994
|
|
Corolla exported to ANCOM states (e.g., Colombia, Ecuador)
|
1996
|
|
CKD assembly of Dyna vehicles commenced
|
1999
|
|
Yaris and 4Runner introduced from Japan
|
2000
|
|
Land Cruiser Prado introduced from Colombia
|
2001
|
November
|
First Terios rolls off the line at Cumana plant's 20th anniversary celebration
|
2005
|
July
|
New Hilux assembly commenced as part of Toyota's IMV project
|
2006
|
|
Corolla imported from Brazil as Cumana plant shows insufficient production capacity
|
Brazil
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
---|---|---|
1952
|
February
|
Exports to Brazil commenced with 100 FX trucks
|
1955
|
November
|
Sao Paulo Representative Office opened (closed in September 1956)
|
1958
|
January
|
Toyota do Brasil Ltda. (TDB) established
|
1959
|
May
|
Land Cruiser assembly commenced
|
1962
|
April
|
Assembly of Land Cruisers (local name: Bandeirante) with Mercedes-Benz engines commenced
|
November
|
TDB begins operations at its assembly plant
|
|
1988
|
|
Annual sales in Brazil top 5,000 units
|
1992
|
October
|
CBU import of Hilux, Corolla, Hilux SW4, and Camry vehicles commenced
|
1996
|
January
|
Export of Hilux parts to TMS commenced
|
|
'Corolla Project' commenced
|
|
|
First General Assembly of Brazilian Suppliers held
|
|
1997
|
|
Import of Argentinian-made Hilux commenced
|
1998
|
August
|
First Brazilian-made Corolla rolls off the production line; opening ceremony held at a Indaiatuba plant
|
1999
|
November
|
Cumulative production of Bandeirante tops 100,000 units
|
|
Bandeirante Sport added to lineup
|
|
2001
|
November
|
Bandeirante production terminated
|
2003
|
January
|
Toyota Mercosul established linked with TASA
|
August
|
Corolla exports to Latin America commenced
|
|
2008
|
|
Brazilian-made Corolla (third generation) launched
|
Argentina
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
---|---|---|
1979
|
April
|
Celica introduced in Argentina (market grows to second largest after Puerto Rico in 1980)
|
1994
|
April
|
Toyota Argentina S.A. (TASA) established立
|
1995
|
December
|
CBU imports commenced
|
1997
|
March
|
Plant operations, Hilux production commenced
|
April
|
Export of Hilux to Brazil commenced
|
|
1998
|
|
New Corolla launched
|
2001
|
|
Hilux export destinations added (e.g., Chile, Peru)
|
2003
|
January
|
Toyota Mercosul established linked with TDB
|
October
|
Export of Hilux to Mexico commenced
|
|
2005
|
January
|
IMV project launched
|
2011
|
November
|
Annual production capacity increased 70,000 units to 90,000 units at Zarate Plant
|
Mexico
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
---|---|---|
1959
|
July
|
Exports to Mexico commenced with one Crown and one Land Cruiser
|
1960
|
August
|
CKD export contract signed with Planta Reo de Mexico (terminated in September 1964)
|
December
|
Assembly of large trucks and Land Cruisers commenced
|
|
1962
|
July
|
Mexico Representative Office opened (closed in April 1966)
|
1964
|
|
Toyota withdraws from the Mexican market
|
2001
|
May
|
Mexican distributor, TMEX, established on May 1
|
2002
|
April
|
Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California, S. de R.L. de C.V.(TMMBC) established
|
April
|
TMEX establishes sales and financial services company, TSM, develops sales infrastructure, and begins Camry and Corolla sales
|
|
2003
|
|
Import and sales of Argentinian-made Hilux commenced
|
2004
|
December
|
TMMBC begins Tacoma production
|
2006
|
|
Argentinean-made new Hilux (IMV) imported and sold
|
2007
|
November
|
TMMBC production capacity increased from 30,000 to 50,000 units a year
|
2008
|
|
Annual sales of 63,306 units (second highest in history), market share of 6.8% achieved
|
2009
|
|
TMEX, TMS, and TMC implement Survival Plan (e.g., production limits on CBU vehicles, adoption of North American production models as core models, delayed introduction of Lexus models)
|
2010
|
July
|
Toyota announces launch of Prius as Mexico's first hybrid model
|
2011
|
November
|
TMEX achieves cumulative sales of 400,000 units
|
Other Countries
Year
|
Month
|
Events
|
---|---|---|
1950
|
June
|
Exports to Costa Rica commenced with three SB trucks
|
1953
|
July
|
Distribution agreement signed with Didea in El Salvador
|
1956
|
August
|
Toyota exhibits large trucks and Land Cruiser at Uruguay Farm Equipment Expo
|
October
|
Bogota Representative Office opened in Colombia (closed in March 1963)
|
|
1958
|
December
|
Toyota exhibits Crown on Latin American Trade Exhibition Ship
|
1963
|
September
|
Domingo Basso of Uruguay begins Toyota 700 and Stout assembly (assembly ended in December 1972)
|
1965
|
September
|
Ecasa of Costa Rica begins CKD assembly of Corona and Land Cruiser vehicles
|
1969
|
January
|
Curacao Representative Office opened (closed in September 1973)
|
1971
|
April
|
Amar Auto Supplies Ltd. of Trinidad and Tobago begins Mark II assembly
|
November
|
First Latin America Strategy Conference held in Puerto Rico
|
|
1973
|
April
|
Equity stake (20%) acquired in Ecasa of Costa Rica
|
May
|
Order for 1,873 Corolla, Land Cruiser, and other vehicles received from the Cuban government
|
|
1976
|
January
|
CBU import ban lifted in Chile (lifted in Argentina, Colombia, and Bolivia in 1979, and Uruguay in 1980)
|
1979
|
July
|
Ecasa of Costa Rica begins Starlet assembly (assembly ended in October 1982)
|
1981
|
October
|
Order for 1,700 Corona, Corolla, Starlet, and other vehicles received from the Jamaican government
|
1982
|
July
|
Santiago Representative Office opened
|
1983
|
July
|
First Product Deployment Meeting held in Panama
|
1985
|
January
|
Ambrois of Uruguay begins Hilux assembly (assembly ended in March 1987)
|
October
|
Ayax of Uruguay begins Corolla assembly
|
|
1986
|
June
|
Latin America Marketing Conference held in Miami
|
October
|
Maresa of Ecuador begins Stout assembly
|
|
1987
|
April
|
Pan-Caribbean Marketing Conference held in Tokyo
|
1997
|
|
Operations for Toyota motor sales in the Caribbean region moved to Toyota Tsusho Corporation
|
2008
|
April
|
Lexus vehicles launched in Chili
|