AP Photo/Mayuko Ono
- Japan had a Ford F-150 pickup truck on display near their summit venue with President Donald Trump.
- Trump met with Japan’s newly sworn-in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Tuesday.
- In July, Trump said he would lower tariffs on Japanese goods to 15% from 25%.
One of America’s favorite trucks, the Ford F-150, greeted President Donald Trump during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo.
At least three American cars, including the Ford F-150 pickup truck, were parked on the grounds of Tokyo’s Akasaka Palace ahead of the leaders’ meeting, per a picture by the Associated Press.
This comes after Reuters reported last week that Takaichi finalized a purchase package ahead of her meeting with Trump, which included soybeans, gas, and a fleet of Ford F-150 pickup trucks.
“She has good taste. That’s a hot truck,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Saturday while en route to Asia.
Ford, the White House, and the Japanese embassy in Washington, DC, did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
The F-150 is Ford’s top-selling pickup truck. On Thursday, Ford said in a press release that it will “increase F-150 and F-Series Super Duty production by more than 50,000 trucks in 2026.” Ford said the boost was needed to make up for production losses due to a fire at one of its suppliers’ aluminum plants.
This wouldn’t be the first time Trump has viewed a car display while in office.
Trump organized a White House event with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in March. As part of the event, a fleet of Tesla vehicles was parked on the south lawn of the White House. Trump bought a Model S at the event, per multiple media reports, and said he would purchase a Cybertruck for his granddaughter, Kai.
In July, the US and Japan struck a trade deal, with the US lowering its tariffs on Japan to 15% from 25%.
Ford CEO Jim Farley criticized the deal, telling Bloomberg on July 30 that the tariff cuts would give Japanese automakers a “meaningful” cost advantage.
Farley said the reduced tariffs, as well as Japan’s lower labor costs and favorable exchange rates, “really advantage their export.” For instance, a Toyota 4Runner would be $10,000 cheaper than a Ford Bronco made in Michigan, he added.
Trump and Takaichi signed two agreements, one on trade and another on critical minerals, on Tuesday.
“I want to just let you know, anytime you have any question, any doubt, anything you want, any favors you need, anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there,” Trump told Takaichi on Tuesday.
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