Toyota to export U.S.-built cars to emerging markets

Sales of Toyota’s heavy SUV and pickups have been on the decline in the U.S. for the past several months with rising fuel prices and growing environmental concerns shifting consumer demand towards smaller and more economical vehicles. The carmaker, which usually prides itself on productivity and efficiency, was forced to reduce output at a number of its U.S. factories because of oversupply issues, but demand from emerging markets could allow Toyota to resume full production.

Fast-growing markets like the Middle-East, Russia and China, where fuel-hungry SUVs still sell in high numbers, could allow Toyota to ramp up production at one of its under-utilized U.S. factories. According to Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, Toyota will begin shipping the Sequoia large SUV (pictured) to the Middle East later this year and the Sienna minivan as early as 2010 to China and other markets.

Both models are built at a plant in Indiana but extra capacity could be utilized at Toyota’s Texas light truck facility.

Toyota currently sells all vehicles built in the U.S. within North America except for the Avalon sedan, which it already exports to the Middle East in limited numbers.