Toyota might be raising prices so that GM and Ford will survive, even though GM and Ford are making crappy cars that cost too much damn money.
Toyota is afraid that if it is too successfull, trade barriers will be raised in the US for its and other Japanese carmakers' products. But they already have a good chunk of the market, so it's time for them to finish GM and Ford off, gladiator-style. This ain't Japan and it ain't France. Collusion on pricing to help the weak companies just pisses people off.
Toyota is afraid that if it is too successfull, trade barriers will be raised in the US for its and other Japanese carmakers' products. But they already have a good chunk of the market, so it's time for them to finish GM and Ford off, gladiator-style. This ain't Japan and it ain't France. Collusion on pricing to help the weak companies just pisses people off.
Toyota may raise car prices
Report: The automaker may raise prices on new cars by 2% - 3% out of consideration for U.S. rivals.
June 10, 2005: 7:58 AM EDT
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp. is preparing to raise prices of its new cars in the United States by an average 2 percent to 3 percent in October out of consideration for its struggling U.S. rivals, the Asahi daily said Friday.
A Toyota spokesman said the automaker has not yet decided to raise U.S. prices, adding it is still looking at such factors as the competitive environment, costs and profit.
The newspaper said Japan's top automaker is preparing to lift prices for almost all its new cars sold in the United States. The move would also reflect higher raw material costs and a cut in sales incentives, it said.
To help restore health to the U.S. auto industry and out of fear of a possible U.S. political backlash, Toyota Chairman Hiroshi Okuda has said repeatedly for the past two months that Toyota should think about ways in which it could aid U.S. automakers -- such as by raising product prices.
Japanese brands collectively grabbed a record 30 percent share of the U.S. auto market last year, but U.S. automakers such as General Motors Corp. (Research) and Ford Motor Co. (Research) are struggling with sliding sales and huge health-care costs.
U.S. car prices are typically set higher when new models are introduced each year. But the rates of increase would be much steeper when cars undergo full-model changes every few years, the Toyota spokesman said.
Toyota's shares rose 0.5 percent on Friday to ¥3,830, lagging the Nikkei share average, which rose 1.3 percent.
Report: The automaker may raise prices on new cars by 2% - 3% out of consideration for U.S. rivals.
June 10, 2005: 7:58 AM EDT
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp. is preparing to raise prices of its new cars in the United States by an average 2 percent to 3 percent in October out of consideration for its struggling U.S. rivals, the Asahi daily said Friday.
A Toyota spokesman said the automaker has not yet decided to raise U.S. prices, adding it is still looking at such factors as the competitive environment, costs and profit.
The newspaper said Japan's top automaker is preparing to lift prices for almost all its new cars sold in the United States. The move would also reflect higher raw material costs and a cut in sales incentives, it said.
To help restore health to the U.S. auto industry and out of fear of a possible U.S. political backlash, Toyota Chairman Hiroshi Okuda has said repeatedly for the past two months that Toyota should think about ways in which it could aid U.S. automakers -- such as by raising product prices.
Japanese brands collectively grabbed a record 30 percent share of the U.S. auto market last year, but U.S. automakers such as General Motors Corp. (Research) and Ford Motor Co. (Research) are struggling with sliding sales and huge health-care costs.
U.S. car prices are typically set higher when new models are introduced each year. But the rates of increase would be much steeper when cars undergo full-model changes every few years, the Toyota spokesman said.
Toyota's shares rose 0.5 percent on Friday to ¥3,830, lagging the Nikkei share average, which rose 1.3 percent.
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