It also announced plans to possibly scale down the operations of its development and technical centre there.

 

Toyota said high manufacturing costs had forced it to make a "painful decision".

 

Last year, Ford¹ and General Motors' Holden unit also announced plans to stop producing cars in Australia.

 

Toyota's exit will leave Australia with no more car manufacturers, effectively ending the local industry.

 

"We believed that we should continue producing vehicles in Australia, and Toyota and its workforce² here made every effort," Toyota Motor Company president Akio Toyoda said.

 

"However, various negative factors such as an extremely competitive market and a strong Australian dollar, together with forecasts of a reduction in the total scale of vehicle production in Australia, have forced us to make this painful decision." 

 

The Japanese auto³ giant, which first began making cars in Australia in 1963, said it "intends to provide the best support it can, including employment assistance" to those affected⁴ by the decision.

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