American Honda became a net exporter in the U.S. for the first time in 2013 - exporting 108,705 U.S.-made Honda and Acura vehicles versus the 88,537 vehicles it imported from Japan.
With sustained growth, Honda achieved record production of automobiles in 2013, both in North America (1,781,213 units) and in the U.S. (1,309,917 units), enabling this first-ever net exporter achievement.
"Achieving net exporter status is a natural result of our commitment and investment in the U.S. and North America," said Tetsuo Iwamura, president & CEO of Honda North America, Inc. "The achievement of this tremendous milestone is a result of the efforts of the tens of thousands of associates in America who develop and produce our vehicles and those who manage the export of these products to customers in global markets."
Over the past three years, Honda has invested more than $2.7 billion to expand its U.S. and North American auto production operations. As a result, today nearly 95 percent of the Honda and Acura cars and trucks sold in the U.S. are made locally in North America.
Supporting the net exporter milestone, Honda set new calendar year records for automobile production at its plants in North America and the U.S., as well as at its plants in Ohio and Indiana. Production in North America of 1,781,213 Honda and Acura automobiles in 2013 represented an increase of 5.3 percent from the previous year's record-setting total. In the U.S., Honda plants produced a record 1,309,917 automobiles in 2013, an increase of 7.4 percent from the previous record in 2012.
Honda was the only automaker to have three car lines - Civic, CR-V and Accord - sell more than 300,000 units in the U.S. in 2013, and all are manufactured in North America.
"In just a few decades, the expansion of free trade and growth in U.S. operations has transformed Honda from importing 100 percent of the cars sold in the U.S. to establishing the U.S. as an export and production hub," said Rick Schostek, senior vice president of Honda North America. "Each vehicle we manufacture for global customers is unique to that country, and our associates are engineering and manufacturing automobiles that meet their expectations for quality and value."
At Honda of America Mfg. in Ohio, the Marysville Auto Plant shattered its previous all-time high by producing 492,409 vehicles last year, up 12 percent from 2012, and besting the previous annual mark, set in 2008, of 459,700 vehicles. Honda's East Liberty Auto Plant in Ohio, produced 242,363 light trucks last year, resulting in record production of 734,772 Ohio-made vehicles at the two plants in 2013. This includes 69,680 vehicles for export to more than 40 countries, an increase of 69 percent compared with 2012.
Honda Manufacturing of Alabama produced 333,556 vehicles in 2013, just shy of its all-time high set in 2012, due to a major model change for the all-new 2014 Acura MDX. The Alabama plant produced 20,466 vehicles for export to 49 countries in 2013.
Honda Manufacturing of Indiana produced a record 241,589 automobiles last year, up 21 percent from 2012. The Indiana plant started auto production in 2008 and added a second shift in 2011. It produced 18,559 vehicles for export, an 82 percent increase from 2012.
Honda of Canada Mfg. produced 408,124 automobiles last year, slightly behind its record production in 2012, with 2,867 of these vehicles exported from North America.
For the second consecutive year, Honda de Mexico in El Salto, Jalisco, also set a new record with production of 63,172 units.
Honda currently has the capacity to produce 1.72 million cars and light trucks in North America at seven auto plants. Next month, production of the Honda Fit will begin in Celaya, Mexico, which will be Honda's eighth and newest auto plant in North America, boosting production capacity to 1.92 million units in North America. With the new Celaya plant, Honda will have the capability to build virtually every product in its lineup in North America, from sub-compact models to light trucks.
Honda began automobile exports from the U.S. in fall 1987, and reached the one million unit mark in cumulative auto exports from the U.S. in late 2012.
