The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Assn.’s U.S. office releases a new report, “35 Years of Manufacturing and R&D in America.”
The report notes JAMA member companies’ history of investment and innovation dating back to the 1982 opening of the first Japanese-owned auto plant in the U.S., Honda’s facility in Marysville, OH.
The report features 2016 data showing association members produced a record high of nearly 4 million vehicles in the U.S., a more than tenfold increase since the mid-1980s. It also shows JAMA members provide more than 90,000 direct U.S. jobs in manufacturing, R&D and other roles, an eightfold increase over the same period.
“From auto plants to R&D facilities and beyond, our members’ deeply rooted direct investments, now totaling about $45.6 billion in cumulative manufacturing investment alone, underscore their tremendous impact on the American auto industry and the economy as a whole,” Manny Manriquez, general director-JAMA USA, says in a news release.
“Japanese-brand automakers’ highly skilled U.S. workforce is at the core of their efforts to build and develop globally competitive vehicles,” he says. “JAMA members have always understood this, which is why they continuously provide and support advanced skills training through a range of workforce development and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education initiatives.”
The report says Japanese automakers produced 3.98 million vehicles and 4.68 million engines in the U.S. in 2016, purchased parts valued at $69.9 billion and exported 412,281 units. Of their 90,000 employees, 64,000 were in manufacturing and 5,700 were in R&D.
“The recent announcements by a number of our members regarding manufacturing plant expansions, new production efforts and more R&D investments in the U.S., demonstrate our strong continued commitment to the American workforce and the future vitality of the auto industry in America,” Manriquez says.
