Honda to move production of hybrid Civic from Japan to US on tariffs

TOKYO – Honda Motor said on April 16 it would move production of its hybrid Civic for the US market from Japan to its plant in Indiana, as it seeks to mitigate the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

The company judged it appropriate to move the output of the model – currently assembled at its plant in Saitama prefecture, near Tokyo – to the United States, considering the Civic’s high popularity there, it said.

Production of the hybrid Civic will be relocated around June or July to Honda’s plant in Indiana, a spokesman said.

“The decision was made based on external factors, including the Trump administration’s tariffs,” he said.

While it is difficult to predict if, when or where Mr Trump’s levies will take effect, Honda is among one of the most exposed foreign brands in the US.

It imports roughly 160,000 cars from Mexico to the US each year, an executive said in November. The US is also the largest market for Honda, along with other Japanese carmakers Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor.

Honda executives in Mexico have told the government there that there are no changes in the company’s production plan in the country, Mexico Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in a post on X earlier this week.

That came after a Nikkei report said Honda was considering moving production from Mexico and Canada to the US in response to auto tariffs.

Mr Trump’s additional 25 per cent tariff on all auto imports has forced global automakers to review their supply chains to lessen the negative impact.

Among Japanese carmakers, Nissan is considering moving some domestic production of the Rogue sport-utility vehicle to the US, according to the government of Fukuoka prefecture, where Nissan has assembly plants.

Mitsubishi Motors has also temporarily suspended deliveries of