Ohio Takes Major Win As $34B Trade Deficit Forces Honda To Export U.S.-Built Acuras To Japan

In 2024, Japan exported $41 billion in cars to the United States. America shipped just $852 million in passenger vehicles the other direction, a gap of nearly 48 to 1. That imbalance fueled a trade confrontation between two of the world’s largest economies.

President Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on all imported vehicles in early 2025, causing Japanese auto exports to the U.S. to plummet. One automaker responded and shifted decades of convention.

Ohio Roots

Honda set up in Marysville, Ohio, in 1977 as the first Japanese automaker to build vehicles on American soil. Production began in 1982.

Over four decades, the Marysville Auto Plant has produced more than 15 million vehicles. Honda now employs about 14,500 workers across Ohio facilities in Marysville, East Liberty, Anna, and Russells Point. The company’s manufacturing network generates billions each year for Ohio’s economy.

Barriers Fall

In July 2025, President Trump announced a landmark trade agreement with Japan. The deal cut reciprocal tariffs to 15 percent and, for the first time, required Japan to allow U.S.-made vehicles meeting American safety and emissions standards to skip additional local testing.

Before this, American-made vehicles faced expensive re-engineering to meet separate Japanese rules, a barrier that blocked exports. With that hurdle gone, shipping U.S.-built cars to Japan became commercially possible for the first time.

Sweeping Deal

The agreement reached far beyond automobiles. Japan pledged $550 billion in U.S.-directed investment across energy, semiconductors, agriculture, and critical minerals.

The deal also opened Japan’s market to American rice and other farm goods, long points of friction for U.S. negotiators. Auto terms were just one piece of a broad economic realignment aimed at narrowing the $63.9 billion U.S.–Japan goods trade deficit.

A Historic First

On March 1, 2026, Honda announced plans to export the Acura Integra Type S and Honda Passport TrailSport Elite to Japan starting in the second half of 2026. The Integra Type S, built in Marysville, Ohio, will be the first Acura-branded vehicle ever sold in Japan.

The Passport comes from Lincoln, Alabama. These exports mark a historic reversal after decades of one-way auto trade.

Ohio’s Payoff

For Ohio, the announcement brings a new chapter for Honda’s presence. The Marysville plant, which already builds vehicles for all of North America, now takes on an export mission to Japan.

Honda has invested more than $700 million in its Ohio operations since 2022, including preparing for EV production at the Ohio EV Hub. That’s a long-term commitment with a new international reach.

Left-Hand Twist

Both models will arrive in Japan as left-hand-drive vehicles. That’s a notable constraint in a country that drives on the left. Still, LHD cars have a cult following in Japan. Enthusiasts prize left-hand-drive European sports cars as status symbols.

Honda spokesperson Jessica Fini told Automotive News that the decision is based on “anticipated customer demand,” with sales planned in “limited quantities.” Honda is aiming for niche appeal over mass volume.

Detroit Pushback

Not everyone celebrated the trade deal. Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents Ford, GM, and Stellantis, argued that a 15 percent tariff still puts Detroit at a disadvantage. “This is a deal that will charge lower tariffs on Japanese autos with no U.S. content,” Blunt said.

Japan’s auto exports to the U.S. fell 11.4 percent in 2025, and its trade surplus with the U.S. shrank 12.6 percent year over year.

Acura’s Pedigree

The Integra Type S stands out from typical sedans. It shares its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with the Civic Type R, producing 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, sent through a six-speed manual.

It starts at $53,400 in the U.S. Honda has exported American-built vehicles to Japan before, including the Odyssey “LaGreat” and early MDX, but both were rebranded as Hondas. The Integra Type S is the first to keep its Acura name.

What It Signals

Honda’s move to ship an Ohio-built Acura to Tokyo marks a real, if modest, reversal of a long-standing Pacific auto trade pattern. Toyota, Nissan, and Subaru also build vehicles at U.S. plants.

If the agreement’s new rules work as intended, more reverse exports could follow. Honda’s limited rollout may be an early sign of a broader industry shift.

Sources:
Car and Driver, “Honda Will Sell Acura in Japan for First Time with Integra Type S,” March 1, 2026
CarExpert, “Honda to Finally Launch Acura in Japan, but Only in Left-Hand Drive,” March 1, 2026
The White House, “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Secures Unprecedented U.S.–Japan Strategic Trade and Investment Agreement,” July 22, 2025
PBS NewsHour, “Big 3 Automakers Say Trump’s Tariff Deal with Japan Puts Them at a Disadvantage,” July 23, 2025
CNBC, “Trump Announces ‘Massive’ Trade Deal with Japan, Setting 15% Tariffs,” July 22, 2025