Toyota to export U.S built vehicles to emerging markets

Sales of large SUV's and pick-up trucks have been pummeting in the U.S for a few months thanks to rising fuel prices and growing environmental concerns have forced customers demand towards smaller and more economical vehicles.

Fast-growing car markets like the Middle-East, Russia and China, where gas-guzzling SUVs still sell in massive numbers, could allow Toyota to ramp up production at one of its under-utilised U.S. factories. According to a Japanese newspaper, Toyota will begin shipping the large Sequoia SUV to the Middle East later this year and the Sienna MPV as early as 2010 to China and other markets.

Both models are built at a plant in Indiana but extra capacity could be utilised at Toyota’s Texas light truck facility.

Toyota currently sells all vehicles built in the U.S within North America except for the Avalon sedan, which it already exports to the Middle East in limited numbers.