WSJ-Toyota to Begin Some Production Of Pickup Truck Beds in Mexico

Toyota executives said the company's board of directors has given the green light to begin production of pickup truck beds for the Tacoma, a small pickup truck currently assembled in Fremont, Calif., at a pace of 160,000 a year. Toyota will ship Tijuana-produced truck beds to Fremont where the No. 1 Japanese auto maker does final assembly of the Tacoma pickup. Currently, truck beds for the Tacoma are produced in Long Beach, Calif., but by 2004 Toyota plans to shift truck bed production entirely to Tijuana. Toyota said the Long Beach facilities will be assigned to produce other components, and that changes will not result in layoffs.