Toyota said on Wednesday its worldwide output and sales reached record highs for the first six months of the year, fuelled by strong demand in markets including North America, Japan and China.

Toyota Motor Corp. saw record global sales during the first half of 2025 as strong demand for hybrid vehicles in core markets helped offset headwinds from President Donald Trump’s tariffs on cars imported to the US.

Tesla vehicles are lined up at a vehicle storage yard at an industrial port, on the day U.S. President Donald Trump struck a trade deal with Japan that lowers tariffs on auto imports, in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan, July 23, 2025. Japanese automakers breathed a sigh of relief after U.S. President Donald Trump finalized a trade agreement last week.

Asia has designs on the blossoming Dallas-Fort Worth economy, with Japan positioning itself to be the tip of the spear.

Toyota Motor Corp. said it hopes for improved ties between the US and Japan, going as far as to call for further tariff reductions a day after President Donald Trump announced a much-awaited trade pact with the island nation.

The U.S. and Japan struck a trade deal, resulting in a 15% tariff. The terms were much better than expected, so much so that U.S. carmakers complained. U.S. carmakers will have to pay even higher rates on imported input costs and components.

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker NIO (NYSE:NIO) surged nearly 11% after unveiling its Onvo L90, a three-row electric SUV designed to compete with Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model Y, signaling its push into the mass-market EV segment.

According to a new Nikkei report, Toyota is now planning to build EVs in Europe for the first time. Toyota will begin producing electric vehicles at its new “mega hub” in the Czech Republic. The news follows a 17 million euro ($19.5 million) investment Toyota made in 2024 to upgrade the facility to boost its presence in Central Europe.

Toyota is known for making reliable and affordable cars, but did you know that it also has a super-exclusive luxury brand that rivals the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley? Meet the Toyota Century, a nameplate that has been around since 1967 and is reserved for the most elite customers in Japan.