[Source/Observer Network, Wang Kaiwen] On April 8 local time, when US President Trump spoke at a fundraising dinner of the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee (NRCC), he once again complained about other countries not buying American cars.

He claimed that over the past 70 years, the United States has contributed greatly to the world. "Even though we have given them so much, you still can't find an American car in Berlin, Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai."

His remarks immediately drew numerous netizens' "comebacks":

"@Tesla, so are you a Chinese or German car?"

"Nonsense, Ford also has factories in Germany."

"I've seen Buicks in China. Their sales are not good because of intense market competition; you need to adapt to consumers' constantly changing preferences, especially when domestic brands can produce more sophisticated cars."

"Is Tesla not an American car? There are many Teslas all over these cities... Is the president asleep the whole time?"

On April 8 local time, Trump spoke at the NRCC fundraising dinner. U.S. media screenshot

However, in the comments, few people mentioned Japan. After all, American cars really don't sell well in Japan. Since Trump's first term, he has repeatedly complained about the Japanese not buying American cars.

Not only Trump, but former President Obama also expressed concern to the Japanese side on this issue during his tenure. For this issue, Shinzo Abe, whom Trump often mentions as a "good friend," had already explained it long ago.

In the book "Memoirs of Shinzo Abe," which was published seven months after Abe's assassination, Abe recalled a conversation with Obama. At that time, Obama hoped that the Japanese government would make concessions on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

"I didn't see any American cars on the road just now on the way here. If you don't help me, I'll be in trouble." "Then import (American cars)!" Hearing him say this, I (Shinzo Abe) quickly explained, "We haven't imposed tariffs on American cars."

Seeing that Obama leaned closer and asked me again, "So are there non-tariff barriers? That's why I don't see any American cars on the road."

I continued to explain, "Go outside the shop and you will know. BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes, Audis, Volkswagens... So many foreign cars are running on the roads, but I don't see any American cars. You ask why? Take a look inside the car. The steering wheel position is different. American car manufacturers want to directly sell left-hand drive cars without changing the steering wheel to the right side. As for advertisements, there are many German car ads, but American cars never advertise and do not participate in the Tokyo Motor Show."

Finally, I summarized, "American car manufacturers are unwilling to make efforts, so they naturally don't sell." Upon hearing this, President Obama fell silent and said nothing more.

--The above content is from "Memoirs of Shinzo Abe"

Many netizens also helped explain why Japanese people don't buy American cars. American cars are too large, and small and exquisite cars are more popular in Japan, such as K-cars, which account for one-third of Japanese car sales.

A Japanese netizen posted a widely circulated meme: on one side, the U.S. keeps demanding that Japan buy American cars and reduce tariffs, while on the other side, Japan repeatedly emphasizes "because American cars are too big," which is like talking to a deaf ear.

Another netizen posted a comparison chart of leading cars in both countries. In Japan, it's the compact hatchback Toyota Yaris, while in the U.S., it's the Ford F-150 pickup truck.

Bloomberg reported on April 7 that the reason there are no American cars on Japanese streets has nothing to do with tariffs. Ultimately, it's because American cars don't meet local tastes.

The report pointed out that even before Trump's administration, Japan's import car tariffs were already lower than the 2.5% that the U.S. levies on imported vehicles. "In fact, Japan has not imposed import tariffs on cars since 1978."

"American companies simply failed to produce cars that catered to local tastes. Japanese drivers want compact, fuel-efficient cars with excellent safety, reliability, and ultra-high cost-effectiveness." Bloomberg wrote.

The report noted that General Motors sold approximately 1,000 vehicles in Japan in the fiscal year ending last month, while Ford sold less than 200.

Compared to the lukewarm reception American cars receive in Japan, Japanese cars are quite popular in the U.S. According to Nikkei Asian Review, data released by six Japanese automakers in January showed that their new vehicle sales in the U.S. increased by 6% year-on-year in 2024, exceeding 5.88 million units. Among them, Toyota's sales in the U.S. in 2024 exceeded 2.33 million units. Including its luxury brand Lexus, Toyota's market share in the U.S. approached 60%.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7491241870765392396/

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