In the number of production of automobiles, Japan topped all the rest in 1980, followed by the United States, West Germany, France, the U. S. S. R., the United Kingdom andItaly. The remarkable development of the Japanese automobile industry in the world ledby the three notable companies, Toyota, Nissan and Honda receive peculiar attention asthey decided to establish their overseas productive companies in the United States and Europe. There is a cooperative company established by Toyota and G. M. in 1984 at the siteof Fremont factory of G. M. in California, the United States. It can be said this is a symbolof the new stage of international collaboration for survival of automobile companies.
Japan has been producing almost all sorts of automobiles in the own country with carefulconsideration to the advantage of the economy of scale since the foundation of automobileindustry, while leading companies in the United States, G. M., Ford and Chryslerintended to get about a half of their production not in the United States but in foreigncountries to preserve their international market. With the economy of scale and the excellentcontrol of its quality, in such a keen competition of the international market, Japanhas gradually begun to get a strong power for exports. In 1981, Japan exported 54% ofits production all over the country, especially the amount of 44.6% came to the United States in the total exports as against 6.0% of West Germany and 5.1% of Canada. As forthe imports, Japan must find itself in a difficult situation, shown the numbers of importsfrom West Germany and the United States. In fact, as contrasted, we recognize that theUnited States is the most important importer in the international market, which exportedonly 8.8% of its total production in 1981. So far as West Germany concerned, we shouldthink much of its character that is the secondary influential importer and also exporter inthe international market.
With ragrad to the number of exports, G. M. and Ford in Canada and Opel (G. M.) and Ford in West Germany have exported more automobiles than those of G. M. and Fordin the United States respectively. Japan has not yet such sort of multinational company. At present, Toyota and Nissan tried to develop their overseas productive companies in other advanced countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where Honda hadalready their productive abilities.
In this paper, the author demonstrates the factors for internationalization of the Japaneseautomobile industry and for evolution of the international system through the five stages of its developments, paying due regards to the policies of multinational companies and ofeach national government.
In the first stage (-1954), the internationalization of the Japanese automobile industrywas promoted by the Army and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, when Manchuriawas constructed in China; in 1932, the seven leading companies in Japan led by Nissancame to Mukuden and established an automobile company there to get support of the Manchuriangovern ment and the South Manchurian Railway company. In a short time we knowthey ended in failure; the Japanese government put the higher import-tariff on automobilesto result in the closure of two multinational companies, G. M. and Ford in Japan in 1939.
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