Toyota to Export U.S.-Assembled Camry to South Korea

Toyota's Kentucky Plant Will Fill Increased International Demand for Redesigned 2012 Model

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Dec 05, 2011, 10:33 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota today announced plans to export U.S.-assembled Camry sedans to its distributor in South Korea. Camry exports to South Korea are initially forecasted at approximately 6,000 units annually.

These Camry vehicles will be produced by team members at Toyota's manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Ky. The plant is Toyota's largest manufacturing facility outside of Japan, employing nearly 7,000 team members directly and creating nearly 20,000 additional jobs with vendors and suppliers in Kentucky and other states.

The Toyota Camry has been the top selling car in America for 13 of the past 14 years and a best-selling vehicle around the world. This is the first time the U.S.-assembled Camry will be exported outside of North America. The vehicles are scheduled to arrive in South Korea beginning in January.

Toyota began exporting U.S.-assembled vehicles in 1988. These exports increased 30% in calendar year 2010 to approximately 100,000 units. Toyota now exports U.S.-assembled vehicles to 19 countries around the world. The company began exporting Indiana-made Sienna minivans to South Korea last month.

Other exports include the Kentucky-produced Avalon sedan, the Indiana-produced Sequoia SUV and the Texas-produced Tacoma and Tundra pick-up trucks.

"We are pleased with the reaction that the redesigned Camry is receiving from our customers, and the sales success it is having in the U.S. and overseas," said Yoshimi Inaba, president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, Inc. "The export of thousands of Camry vehicles to South Korea is an important development that builds on the great work of our talented U.S. team members as well as our extensive investments across North America to help maintain a strong, stable base of U.S. jobs. We look forward to other opportunities to continue growing exports from our American operations."

Camry exports to South Korea will ship from the Port of Hueneme, near Oxnard, Calif.

About the Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in America for nine years running and 13 of the last 14 years. Since it was introduced in 1983, more than 8.5 million vehicles have been sold in the U.S. and 15 million worldwide. For the past three years, the Camry has also been named the "Most American Car" in Cars.com's annual American Made Index. Designed to meet the needs of the 21st century driver, the 2012 Camry, which went on sale this fall, provides technologically advanced features, a contemporary design inside and out, improved performance and fuel efficiency, and a refined ride and handling.

The Camry is produced at Toyota's manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Ky. as well as at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. in Lafayette, Ind.

On December 1, Toyota announced that the Camry and Camry Hybrid led sales of Toyota's passenger cars in the U.S. in November with combined monthly sales of 23,440 units, an increase of 8.5 percent over the year-ago month on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates 14 manufacturing plants, including a new plant in Mississippi that began production in November. There are more than 1,800 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America which sold more than 2 million vehicles in 2010. Toyota directly employs more than 35,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $23 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals nearly $25 billion. In addition, the company has contributed more than half a billion dollars to U.S. nonprofits over the past 20 years. For more information, visit www.toyota.com.

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SOURCE Toyota