Toyota is preparing a fresh step toward easing trade tensions between Japan and the United States. As Autoblog reports, company chairman Akio Toyoda is weighing a plan to help GM and Ford sell vehicles in Japan by tapping Toyota’s dealership network.

The proposal comes as part of a broader initiative tied to an agreement between Tokyo and Washington. Under the deal, Japan intends to invest up to $500 billion in the U.S. economy, spanning energy, manufacturing, and AI. Within that framework, Toyota will channel $10 billion into boosting capacity at its American plants, from Kentucky to Texas and North Carolina.

Amid ongoing friction over market access, Toyoda floated the idea of opening Japan’s car market wider to American brands, which currently hold less than a 1% share there. The contrast is stark: Japanese automakers, including Toyota, command 37% of the U.S. market, while American models in Japan are held back by red tape and domestic standards. If realized, the shift could give U.S. marques a clearer runway and provide Japanese buyers with more choice without the usual procedural drag.

Toyoda argued that competition benefits everyone and signaled readiness to simplify import and certification rules for U.S.-built cars. One option under consideration is to offer American models through Toyota’s own dealer network—an approach that would leverage established retail muscle to cut through friction points. For consumers, that could translate into easier access and smoother ownership, and for both sides of the Pacific, it reads as a pragmatic confidence-building move rather than a grand gesture.