By Kosaku Narioka
Honda Motor plans to start selling two U.S.-built models in Japan in the second half of 2026, after the country streamlined safety requirements for U.S.-made cars as agreed in a trade deal last year.
The Japanese automaker said Thursday that it will import the two models produced in the U.S. to improve its car lineup in the domestic market, taking advantage of a simplified safety certification procedure newly set up by Japan's transport ministry.
One of the models is the Acura Integra Type S. Built at a plant in Marysville, Ohio, it is a sedan equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and two-liter turbocharged engine. The other model is the Passport TrailSport Elite, made at an Alabama plant. It is a midsized sport-utility vehicle with enhanced off-road capabilities.
Japan's transport ministry started a new program in February to allow sales of passenger vehicles made and safety-certified in the U.S. without additional testing, as the countries agreed upon in the trade deal in July. That deal lowered a U.S. tariff on Japanese autos to 15% from 27.5% previously.
Honda last month reported a loss in its car business for the latest quarter ended December due to U.S. tariffs and electric vehicle-related impairments, despite profit growth in its motorcycle business.
Write to Kosaku Narioka at kosaku.narioka@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-05-26 0309ET
