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Toyota Sets Record for U.S. Purchases

18 July 2000

Up 24% from Last Year

    ERLANGER, Ky. - Toyota purchased nearly $13 billion worth of parts and 
materials made in the U.S. during the 1999 fiscal year (ending March 31, 2000).  
The numbers were recently released as part of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers 
Association's annual announcement of procurement by the country's automotive 
companies and pertain to purchases made from both the parent company and its 
U.S. affiliates.

    Of the $12.9 billion actual total, Toyota bought $11.2 billion worth for
its North American plants.  The remaining $1.71 billion was spent on exported
parts to Japan.

    Toyota's FY 1999 purchases were up 24 percent from one year ago, when the
company's purchases totaled $10.3 billion. Toyota now buys from some 500 North
American automotive suppliers of parts and materials.  Since 1986, when the
company opened its Georgetown, Ky. plant, Toyota's cumulative North American
purchases have reached $70 billion.

    "As our North American vehicle production increases, so do purchases from
our suppliers here," said Teruyuki Minoura, president and CEO of Toyota Motor
Manufacturing North America.  "It has been our strong commitment since
establishing manufacturing operations in the U.S. that we buy locally, and as
the numbers show, we have made very good progress."

    Toyota hit record production levels last calendar year, building more than
one million cars and trucks for the first time within a single year at its
four plants in the U.S. and Canada.

    The company is well on its way to having another record production year in
2000.  Through the month of June, Toyota had produced nearly 576,000 cars and
trucks at its facilities in Kentucky, California, Indiana and Ontario, Canada.

    In all, seven models are currently made at the four plants, including
Camry, Avalon, Sienna, Tacoma, Corolla, Solara and Tundra.  This fall, a new
full-size SUV, the Sequoia, will join the product line-up at the Indiana
plant.

    Toyota's overall employment in North America is more than 30,000, and with
recently announced plans for expansions at its Indiana and Ontario plants in
2003, total investment will be $13 billion.