The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association will decide on March 22 whether to admit General Motors Corp. as a member, JAMA Chairman Hiroshi Okuda said Thursday.

Okuda, who is also chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., said the decision will hinge on how JAMA articles that call for membership to only be granted to firms that manufacture vehicles in Japan are interpreted.

GM, which applied for JAMA membership in December, produces vehicles in Japan but only on a consignment basis by its affiliate, Suzuki Motor Corp.

Should the application be approved, GM would become the first non-Japanese automaker to become a JAMA member.