Toyota has called for an extension of the European Union’s “Made in EU” business strategy to include vehicle production in non-EU nations such as the U.K., Japan and Turkey.
The automaker, which has eight plants in Europe plus five production facilities with partners, said it reaffirms Toyota Motor Europe’s commitment to Europe in a June 10 release.
Setting out Toyota’s vision for a competitive, resilient and decarbonized European automotive industry, Toyota Motor Europe president and CEO Yoshihiro Nakata is calling for an extension of qualifying nations in the European Commission’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act and Automotive Package and its strict “Made in EU” requirements for electric vehicles and other low-carbon products.
“We believe that selected critical partners, for instance the U.K., Japan, and Turkey, should be recognized in the same way as ‘Made in EU’ under the Industrial Accelerator Act,” Nakata said at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Brussels last week.
Nakata underlined that TME’s strategy is built on local contribution through its manufacturing base which represents a major industrial footprint in Europe, producing 877,000 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in 2025, 80% of which were made in the region.
However, Nakata expressed Toyota’s fears that excluding key international partners in the automotive sector could undermine future investment, employment and technology transfer, while reducing the regional scale he considers necessary to effectively compete globally.
On top of that, at a time of intensifying global competition, he cautioned that delays and restrictive eligibility criteria risk undermining the EU’s position, while competing regions continue to advance.
“Europe’s resilience is built not only on local production, but also on working with partners to create regional scale and shared success,” said Nakata. “By working together we are all stronger,” he added.
Additionally, Nakata is calling for a focus on a multi-pathway regulatory strategy, highlighting renewable fuels as a key contributor to decarbonization, which he says is capable of significantly reducing carbon emissions and contributing to European technology expertise, while delivering energy resilience against fossil fuel supply challenges.
