BookTitleToyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Summary

Toyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Upon the Publication of OurCompany HistoryToyota Tsusho Corporation celebrated its 70th anniversary on July 1, 2018. I would like to take this occasionto express my sincere gratitude to our customers and all other stakeholders for their unstinting support andguidance over the years.Our company’s origins date back to Toyota Kinyu, which was established in 1936 to provide installment salesfinancing for Toyota vehicles. Later, the company was renamed Toyota Sangyo and became a Toyota holdingcompany. This 70th anniversary is a commemoration of 70 years since the trading division of this company wastransferred to Nisshin Tsusho, the predecessor of Toyota Tsusho that was established in 1948.Toyota Tsusho started out by focusing on importing and exporting commodities. Then, step-by-step, wediversified our business and expanded into new fields, continuing to grow while solidifying our foundation asa general trading company. We moved from simply trading into new areas, such as business management, andbecame active in developing business overseas. Our particular role was to support the development of industrycentered on automobiles. To that end, we worked hard to refine our unique capabilities as the Toyota Group’sgeneral trading company by accepting guidance and devoting our energy to on-site initiatives.In the 2000s, we set our sights on becoming a truly global company. We expanded our business by mergingwith Kasho Co., Ltd. and with Tomen Corp., and in 2012, we invested in CFAO S.A.S., a French tradingcompany with a strong presence in the African market. Through these activities, we have expanded not onlyinto the mobility field but also into other fields, such as resources and the environment and life and community.We have more than 57,000 employees in over 100 countries, and we continue to grow. We have gathered andnurtured talent so that we can play an active role on the global stage and are capable of responding flexibly tochanges in the world while respecting diversity and encouraging acceptance, with the understanding that ourpeople are our most important assets.The world is undergoing major political, economic, and technological changes of an unprecedented scale andspeed. Going forward, our goals are to contribute to resolving social issues by doing good work and to continueto be needed by society. To achieve these aims, we will nurture a mindset that prioritizes safety and complianceand harness the strengths and unique qualities that Toyota Tsusho has honed over the years. We are willing totake on new challenges as we anticipate the next leap forward in this time of great change.I humbly request that you will continue to provide us with your encouragement and guidance in the years tocome.February 2019Jun Karube Chairman of the Board2