Toyota to export US-made Camry to South Korea

Toyota unveiled plans Monday to begin exporting Camry sedans made in the United States to South Korea next month. Toyota said the plan marks the first time the US-built Camry will be exported outside of North America. "The export of thousands of Camry vehicles to South Korea is an important development that builds on the great work of our talented US team members as well as our extensive investments across North America to help maintain a strong, stable base of US jobs," said Yoshimi Inaba, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor North America, Inc. The cars will be produced at Toyota's manufacturing facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, the Japanese automaker's largest plant outside of Japan. The vehicles are scheduled to arrive in South Korea beginning in January. The company initially estimated Camry exports to South Korea of 6,000 units a year. According to Toyota, the Camry has been the top-selling car in the United States for 13 of the past 14 years and one of the world's best-selling vehicles. Inaba said the Japanese automaker was hoping for "other opportunities" to continue growing exports from its American operations. Toyota, which began exporting US-assembled vehicles in 1988, saw those exports leap 30 percent in 2010 to roughly 100,000 units. The company began exporting Sienna minivans made in the US state of Indiana to South Korea last month. Toyota now exports US-assembled vehicles to 19 countries around the world. Those exports include the Kentucky-produced Avalon sedan, the Indiana-produced Sequoia sport utility vehicle and the Texas-produced Tacoma and Tundra pick-up trucks.