​Honda associates from throughout the U.S. on hand to mark historic milestone

A 2013 Honda Accord Sedan yesterday boarded a ship at Port Hueneme in Ventura County, Calif. bound for Seoul, South Korea, officially becoming the 1 millionth Honda vehicle exported from the U.S. The milestone comes 25 years after the first U.S.-made Honda automobile was exported overseas.

All four Honda auto plants in the U.S. produce vehicles for overseas export, so Honda associates from plants in Ohio, Alabama and Indiana were joined by Honda associates from California in watching the milestone vehicle be driven onboard the ship.

Associates from Honda operations across the U.S. gather at Port Hueneme, Calif. to celebrate the export of the company’s 1 millionth vehicle from the U.S., a Honda Accord destined for Seoul, South Korea. Within two years, Honda will export more vehicles from the U.S. than it imports from Japan.

The 1 millionth Honda U.S. export vehicle, a silver Accord EX-L Sedan, rolled off the assembly line in Marysville, Ohio, on Dec. 5, 2012, before being transported to Port Hueneme, Calif. for export overseas. It now embarks on a nearly 6,000-mile journey across the Pacific Ocean to Seoul, South Korea, where the company recently began sales of its U.S.-made vehicles.

Honda currently exports automobiles to 49 countries (Honda does not consider shipments from the U.S. to Canada as exports), with total exports expected to reach nearly 100,000 Honda and Acura vehicles from the U.S. in 2012. Within two years, Honda will export more vehicles built in its auto plants in North America than it imports from Japan.

“Honda is proud to make the phrase ‘Quality for the World, Made in the U.S.A.’ an important seal of approval for products made in America,” said James Burrell, assistant vice president of the Export Sales division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “Our customers throughout the world love the quality of U.S.-built Honda and Acura vehicles.”