Toyota Shifts GR Corolla Production to UK to Meet US Demand, Not Due to Tariffs

Toyota GR Corolla Production Relocation

• 🚗 Toyota is moving some production of its GR Corolla sports car to the UK.
• 🎯 The primary goal is to utilize excess capacity at the UK plant and reduce wait times for the popular model.
• 📈 The UK plant will produce 10,000 GR Corollas per year specifically for export to North America.

Production Rationale and Context

• 🇯🇵 Currently, the GR Corolla is manufactured in Japan for both domestic and export markets, but demand has outstripped supply.
• 🧩 The UK plant already produces the base model Corolla, making the GR variant a natural fit for production.
• 📉 The UK plant, established in 1992, has experienced declining output since Brexit.

Tariff Clarification

• 🚫 Sources indicate the production shift is not linked to Donald Trump's tariffs on car imports.
• ⚖️ While Washington recently reduced the duty on UK vehicles to 10% (down from 25% for Japan), this change is separate from Toyota's production decision.
• 💬 Toyota's official response stated they are always looking for ways to optimize production.