Auto Car News Official: Toyota to export Highlander from U.S. to Australia, Russia

Toyota is struggling with the rising yen, so much so that the automaker has been shifting vehicle production outside of Japan. That’s tough news for laborers in Japan, but it works out in favor of the American workforce in Princeton, Indiana.

That’s because Toyota has proclaimed that it will hire 400 more workers and spend $ 400 million to ramp up production of the popular Highlander. Toyota plans to ship off the extra production to buyers in countries like Russia and Australia. The plant expansion and extra jobs will enable the Princeton plant to crank out 50,000 extra Highlander models each year.

Toyota plans to finish the upgrades to the Princeton facility by late 2013. Hit the jump to read over the Toyota press release.