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Trump's tariffs hit Toyota profit, though
its global sales grew
[May 08, 2026]
By YURI KAGEYAMA
TOKYO (AP)
— Toyota's profit fell 19% in the last fiscal year from a year earlier,
as President Donald Trump’s tariffs bit into earnings at Japan’s top
automaker.
Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 3.85 trillion yen ($25 billion) profit for
the fiscal year ended in March, down from nearly 4.8 trillion yen the
previous fiscal year. |

Toyota dealership, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Nashua, N.H. (AP
Photo/Charles Krupa, File) |
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The
maker of the Camry sedan, Prius hybrid and Lexus luxury models
said Friday that Trump’s tariff policies erased some 1.4
trillion yen ($9 billion) from its annual operating income.
Unfavorable trends in exchange rates also hit its profit
margins, said Toyota, which is headquartered in Toyota city,
central Japan.
Still it said it had held up relatively well, selling nearly 9.6
million vehicles around the world, up from about 9.4 million the
year before.
The value of those sales rose 5.5% to 50.7 trillion yen ($323
billion) from 48 trillion yen the year before.
On a quarterly basis, Toyota’s profit jumped 23% to 817 billion
yen ($5.2 billion) from 664 billion yen. January-March sales
rose nearly 2% to 12.6 trillion yen ($80 billion).
Toyota expects to sell 9.6 million vehicles in the current
fiscal year through March 2027. It’s keeping a relatively modest
forecast for fiscal year profit at 3 trillion yen ($19 billion),
citing potential impact from developments in the Middle East.
Toyota said it expects supply-chain disruptions due to the
closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively blocked
because of the Iran war. Toyota’s vehicle sales in the Middle
East also have dropped.
Japan imports almost all its oil, much of it from the Middle
East. The war has boosted the price of oil and many other
materials. Using longer shipping routes to skirt the route
through the strait is adding to costs for many companies.
Toyota reiterated its vision of transforming into “a mobility
company,” meaning it hopes to add boats and planes to its
lineup. It also promised to continue innovating as it expands
its reach outside the auto industry to other types of gadgetry
like robotic arms that restack store shelves and devices to
transport medical equipment.
The company said it would grow leaner, reorganizing its models
and increasing local procurement, while cutting costs.
Toyota stocks fell 2.2% after its earnings were announced.
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