According to www.wardsauto.com, Nissan Motor will begin exporting the U.S.-built Murano SUV to Japan in early 2027, marking a strategic reversal of traditional trans-Pacific vehicle flows.
U.S. Production Meets New Japanese Regulatory Pathway
The Murano sold in the U.S. is assembled at Nissan’s Smyrna, Tennessee plant — the same facility supplying vehicles for the Japanese market. This shift follows a regulatory decision by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in February 2026, which relaxed long-standing technical requirements for imported vehicles. Under the updated framework, vehicles certified to U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are now accepted as compliant with Japan’s domestic motor vehicle laws — including specific provisions such as amber-colored turn signal lenses.
Additionally, emissions testing requirements have been eliminated for imported vehicles meeting U.S. safety standards, according to a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism press release. To signal compliance, each U.S.-built vehicle entering Japan will display a red star-shaped sticker on its rear and carry inspection certificates labeled “authorized U.S. vehicles,” as reported by NHK World Japan.
Trade Agreement Enables Two-Way Vehicle Flows
The regulatory change stems from a bilateral trade agreement finalized between the U.S. and Japan in September 2025. As part of that accord, the U.S. reduced its tariff rate on automobiles and auto parts deemed “products of Japan” from 25% to 15%. The White House stated the agreement would generate “billions of dollars in increased market access for U.S. automakers.” Meanwhile, the U.S. trade deficit with Japan stood at $68 billion in 2024, per data from the U.S. International Trade Commission.
The agreement directly enables Nissan’s move — and mirrors parallel initiatives by other Japanese OEMs. In December 2025, Toyota announced it would export the U.S.-built Camry, Highlander, and Tundra pickup to Japan starting in 2026. Similarly, Honda confirmed in early 2026 that it will sell the U.S.-built Acura Integra Type S and Honda Passport TrailSport Elite in Japan during the second half of this year. The Passport is manufactured at Honda’s Alabama Auto Plant, while the Integra is produced at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio.
Market Performance and Strategic Rationale
Nissan reported 42,747 Murano SUV sales in the U.S. in 2025 — a 121% year-over-year increase. At the same time, Nissan’s imports of vehicles from Japan into the U.S. declined by 17.4% last year to 113,094 units. This growing domestic production capacity and shifting import/export balance underpins the company’s decision to launch the Murano in Japan.
“With the introduction of this model, Nissan aims to further strengthen its product lineup in Japan and meet the diverse needs of Japanese customers,” said Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s president and CEO, in a statement released on March 16, 2026.
This initiative reflects broader supply chain recalibration among Japanese automakers. Rather than relying solely on Japan-based manufacturing for global markets, companies are leveraging established U.S. assembly infrastructure to serve both domestic and regional demand — improving cost efficiency, reducing exposure to currency volatility, and responding to evolving trade policy frameworks.
Source: wardsauto.com
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
