By Steven Ribet

Given the trade friction between the United States and China, selling China-built cars in America is a politically sensitive topic for some.

Honda, though, is already shipping China-built cars to Europe. And the automaker could easily export cars from China to America, reckons Masaya Nagai, although it has no plans to do so.

"I believe we can export products to any country in the world," said the President of Honda Automobile (China). He added that Honda executives in Japan would make the final decision on selling destinations for his vehicles.

He spoke at the Automotive News China Conference here on April 17.

Honda Motor established its youngest Chinese joint venture in the southern city of Guangzhou in 2003. Today, Honda Automobile (China) is the only automaker in the country that exports more than a handful of vehicles to the developed world.

Last year it made 43,000 units of its Jazz model and shipped them all to 21 countries in Europe including Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

To meet required standards in quality and environmental protection, Nagai said Honda instructed its workers to assemble and disassemble vehicles from Japan more than 1,000 times. Before starting production they also satisfied more than 100 improvement requests from experts at Honda Motor Europe.

Honda makes the same car at its mother plant in Suzuka, Japan. Exports to the United States ¨C where it sells under the name Fit ¨C have proved highly popular.

When asked if the quality of his cars made in Guangzhou was the same as those made in Japan, Nagai replied; "I think so".
From:Automotive News China