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First Post
5 days ago
- Automotive
- First Post
Does Trump know why Japan doesn't buy American cars? It's taste, not tariffs
US President Donald Trump will likely fail in his mission to sell more American cars in Japan even after a trade deal. That's because Japanese simply do not want to buy American cars that are simply not good enough for them — tariffs or no tariffs. read more US President Donald Trump and Tesla-owner Elon Musk stand in front of a Tesla Cybertruck at the White House. (Photo: White House) Last month, US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Japan and hailed the opening of the country's market to American cars. But Japan had not charged any tariff on the import of cars since 1970s. Japanese have never been enthusiastic about American cars not because of tariffs or any conspiracy, but because of a simple reason that they do not find American cars good enough for them. This is also not a new phenomenon borne out of the decline of American manufacturing sector. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Since World War II, the United States has been the principal ally of Japan — the country was under complete US occupation till 1952. But that could never result in American cars becoming popular in Japan. Last year, top 10 car-sellers in Japan were all Japanese, with Toyota being the best-seller. Among American companies, Mercedes-Benz had a market share of around 1 per cent and General Motors and Tesla had a share of less than 1 per cent each. The condition for American companies has been such that Ford exited Japan altogether in 2016 after saying that it had no path to profitability in the country. But why don't Japanese want US cars? There are a host of practical, economic, and cultural reasons why Japanese do not prefer to buy American cars despite the absence of any tariffs. Firstly, Japanese customers prefer compact, fuel-efficient cars that suit Japan's narrow roads and streets and tight parking spaces. American cars are usually larger and do not suit such conditions. Hence Japanese prefer domestic cars that are suited for such conditions. Secondly, Japanese cars are better than American cars when it comes to producing hybrid, fuel-efficient models. Thirdly, Japanese customers tend to be loyal to domestic brands like Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, and prefer them over foreign brands. Fourthly, Japan has high safety standards and many American cars simply do not meet them. Japan also has a right-side driving system as opposed to left-side driving system of the United States. This means that many American cars need to be modified, creating additional burden on buyers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Fifthly, many American cars have servicing issues as service centres for such cars and the availability of spare parts and machinery can also be problematic.
The National
26-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Elon Musk 'ordered Starlink shutdown' during Ukraine counterattack
The billionaire's command allegedly led to a communications blackout while Ukrainian forces attempted to retake the port city of Kherson in the south of the country in September 2022. The communication blackout, where staff at the American tech firm deactivated at least 100 Starlink terminals after being instructed to, reportedly caused the attack to fail, according to Reuters, which spoke with three people who were familiar with the demand. According to reports, the blackout caused Ukrainian soldiers to panic as drones surveilling Russian forces went dark, and long-range artillery units, reliant on Starlink to aim at their targets, struggled to hit them. READ MORE: 'He belongs in The Hague': Keir Starmer fiercely criticised over Gaza speech Although Ukrainian forces were able to reclaim Kherson, the incident was reported to have damaged the country's trust in the technology, along with shocking Starlink employees. One of the three people who were familiar with the instruction claimed it enabled Musk to take 'the outcome of a war into his own hands'. The Tesla-owner reportedly grew concerned that Ukrainian forces' advancements could provoke nuclear retaliation from Vladimir Putin. A spokesperson for SpaceX, the aerospace company that owns Starlink, told Reuters the reporting of the incident is 'inaccurate'. In March, Musk posted on his social media platform, X/Twitter: 'To be extremely clear, no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals.' Starlink, which went live in 2019, is a satellite company that beams data across its network and is the world's largest satellite operator. It provides customers with internet access in remote and unreliable locations and has a network of around 8000 satellites in orbit. It has been a key tool in Ukraine's defence, as Musk has provided the country with more than 50,000 Starlink terminals during the war. The network has allowed Ukrainians to speak to relatives across the world, and President Zelensky uses the network to transmit broadcasts to the nation. It is also used by Ukrainian forces on the battlefield to communicate and is used to guide drones and long-range artillery units.
