Amid the worldwide economic downturn and the dollar's nosedive against the yen, Toyota Motor Corp. is facing a turning point in the aggressive overseas strategy that until now has powered its growth.
The global turmoil that some call the worst in almost a century has sent even Toyota, the most financially secure automaker in the world, to forecast its first operating loss in more than 60 years and has pushed the U.S. Big Three automakers — General Motors Corp., Chrysler LLC and Ford Motor Co. — to the verge of bankruptcy.
Experts say Toyota will be forced to rein in its aggressive global growth and limit overseas investment to cut down on production for a while. Toyota meanwhile will seek to boost the efficiency of its production system and once again focus on advancing technologies to gain a competitive edge.