The Toyota Tacoma has been the most popular midsize pickup truck in the United States for over twenty years, but its current fourth generation is produced exclusively in Mexico at the TMMBC plant in Tijuana. Starting in 2030, the Tacoma will be manufactured at Toyota's plant in San Antonio, Texas (USA), into the expansion and modernization of which the Japanese company will invest $3.6 billion.
The relocation of Toyota Tacoma production from Mexico to the United States is a direct consequence of the protectionist policies of current US President Donald Trump. As early as last fall, Toyota announced its intention to invest $10 billion in expanding its business in the US; the expansion of the San Antonio plant is part of these investments. This past spring, Toyota announced plans to increase the capacity of its assembly plants in Kentucky and Indiana. Toyota currently operates eleven plants in the United States.
Toyota's San Antonio plant was launched in 2006 and today produces the full-size Tundra pickup and the related body-on-frame Sequoia SUV. The plant's current capacity is approximately 200,000 vehicles per year. By the end of this year, a rear axle assembly line is expected to begin operation at the plant, and the $3.6 billion investment will fund the next phase of the facility's development.
By 2030, the plant's area will roughly double. A new building will be constructed adjacent to the existing facilities, housing a second vehicle assembly line. Capacity will increase by 150,000 vehicles per year, and the workforce will grow from the current 4,000 to approximately 6,000 people. The total investment made by Toyota in the San Antonio plant since construction began in 2003 will reach $8.3 billion by 2030.
The fourth-generation Toyota Tacoma debuted in 2023, and 2025 became a record year for this model in the US: sales surged by 42.4% to 274,638 units. This year, Tacoma sales in the US continue to grow: 143,848 units were sold in the first quarter (+9.9%). Given current sales volumes for the Tundra, Sequoia, and Tacoma, the San Antonio plant's capacity of 350,000 vehicles per year may be insufficient to meet all demand for these models. Therefore, Tacoma production at the TMMBC (Toyota Motor Manufacturing Baja California) plant in Mexico will continue, and some vehicles from there will be supplied to the US.
We should add that the USMCA free trade agreement is in effect between the US, Mexico, and Canada, which also regulates the required level of localization for vehicles and auto components destined for the US. The Trump administration has refused to automatically renew this agreement, seeking to make it more favorable for the US and better shield itself from Chinese vehicles, which are currently actively conquering the Mexican market. In short, thanks to Trump's efforts, the USMCA agreement may lose its meaning entirely, and major automakers like Toyota prefer not to wait for the outcomes of Trump's geopolitical exercises and are preemptively moving production to the US.
Comments (0)