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トヨタ自動車は６日、子会社のトヨタ自動車九州宮田工場で、全面改良したレクサスの主力車種「ＥＳ」の本格生産を始めました。円高による採算悪化で国内での生産継続が厳しい中、九州での部品調達率を上げてコストを削減するという方策に打って出ました。海外で生産されたトヨタ車にリコールが相次いでいることも影響していると考えられます。

Toyota bets made-in-Japan Lexus can drive sales

Toyota Motor on Friday launched production of its revamped Lexus ES sedan, a flagship luxury car that represents a renewed bet the automaker can keep building cars for the United States and China at more costly factories in Japan.

Toyota, Japan's top automaker, has made it a goal to safeguard production of some 3 million vehicles a year in its home market - roughly triple the equivalent output at Nissan Motor and Honda Motor and about 40 percent of the cars and trucks Toyota builds globally.

Lexus is key to that commitment. The only Lexus model made outside Japan is the RX sport-utility vehicle manufactured in Ontario, Canada.

Japanese automakers, including Toyota, have been reeling from a strong yen that has eroded profits on exports. The Lexus strategy leaves the brand more exposed to foreign exchange than Toyota's mainline brand, but Toyota officials said the made-in-Japan strategy would pay off even at current yen levels.

(Reuters, Jul 06)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/06/us-toyota-lexus-idUSBRE86504V20120706

betは「賭け」ですが、経済関連では「企業の方策、戦略」という意味で使われる事があります。もちろんそれはある意味大きな「賭け」でもあります。（UG）