By Obinna Uballa
Major Japanese automakers have dismissed reports that they will further raise car prices in the U.S. to offset tariffs imposed under the Trump administration, insisting that recent adjustments were routine and unrelated to trade measures.
The clarification comes after a Nikkei Asia report claimed that companies such as Toyota and Honda had started passing tariff costs to consumers, CNBC reported
Recall that Japan faced a 25% tariff on automobiles in April, later reduced to 15% following a trade agreement reached in July.
Toyota, Japan’s largest carmaker, maintained that its July price increase was part of its annual review to reflect operational cost changes, not a response to US tariffs.
“We were monitoring negotiations, but our stance was not to raise prices because of tariffs,” the company added.
Earlier, media reports indicated that Toyota’s plan to hike prices by an average of $270 in July. Butbin swift response, Toyota, denied any link to tariffs, despite estimating a potential impact of 450 billion yen ($3.03 billion) in Q1 and 1.4 trillion yen for the year.
On its part, Honda said it did not pass tariff costs to customers, attributing price adjustments on its 2026 models to typical enhanced features. The firm noted that it has very strong U.S. manufacturing footprint.
Similarly, Nissan said it has avoided tariff-related price increases by maximizing production at its U.S. plants and managing inventory carefully.
“We continue to monitor the market and will make adjustments as needed,” the company added.
According to industry stakeholders, the automakers’ statements reflect their general strategy to maintain competitiveness in the world’s second-largest car market without burdening consumers with extra tariff costs.
