'Go Out and Buy a Toyota:' Trump Deploys Car Diplomacy

President Trump met with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday, but Reuters notes that another American figure has emerged as a symbol of international trade talks—the Ford F-150. Coverage:

• Takaichi made a point to have a shiny F-150 parked in the courtyard of Akasaka Palace, where the two leaders held their first talks, per the AP.
• The move follows reports that Japan is planning to buy dozens of the American trucks, which Trump addressed aboard Air Force One over the weekend as he embarked on his trip to Asia. "Well, that's great. She has good taste," Trump said, referring to Takaichi. "That's a hot truck."

• The context is that Trump has long complained that Japan sells too few American vehicles, while the US sells plenty of Japanese cars, per NBC News. (One wrinkle is that most of the Japanese vehicles sold in America are assembled at US plants.) Takaichi is now attempting to navigate trade talks with Trump, and the Ford F-150 appeals as a symbolic target.
• The problem, as both Reuters and the AP point out, is that the trucks may be too big for Japan's narrow roads. In fact, that may explain why American vehicles in general don't sell well there—Japanese consumers favor smaller, more gas-efficient models. If Japan goes ahead with the purchase of a fleet of Ford trucks, they would likely be used as snow plows.
• Though Trump has previously complained that not enough American cars sell in the country, he had a different message for US troops stationed there on Tuesday. "I was just told by the prime minister that Toyota is going to be putting auto plants all over the United States to the tune of over $10 billion," he told troops aboard the USS George Washington at the Yokosuka Naval Base, per the Hill. "Go out and buy a Toyota."