Toyota Quotes
After the Second World War Japanese industry had mostly not yet been rebuilt from the destruction of the allied bombing. The automobile industry, which before the war had aspirations of worldwide competition had been reduced to one company making less than 1000 cars a year and not many more trucks. However, when the Korean War broke out, there was a need for many military vehicles to support the allied war effort. Japan being so close and having very low labor rates had the opportunity to supply many of the needed vehicles. This allowed Nissan, Toyota and Datsun to get on their industrial feet, and from there to become world leaders. Hence, for Japan, the war was a gift from the Gods.
Many free-traders disagree. While there is unemployment in the auto industry from imported cars, there is increased employment in the importing process, the marketing, selling, and maintenance of the imported cars as well as their financing. Further, when trade is open, we can then export products and services to Japan and this creates jobs. No one has ever been able to exactly measure the jobs created so it is an unsettled intellectual economic and political question. However, the people who lose jobs to imports are generally identifiable while the beneficiaries of many of the new jobs created by open trade are never specifically identified, so public opinion is more sympathetic to the former.
