Toyota sharply criticizes Trump designation on auto imports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp on Friday criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to declare some auto sector imports a national security threat, saying it sends a message to the Japanese automaker that "our investments are not welcomed."

The automaker, which is in the middle of building a $1.6 billion joint venture assembly plant and said in March it will invest $13 billion in U.S. operations by 2021, said in a statement that its U.S. operations "are not a national security threat."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Grant McCool)