Japanese automakers should be careful of possibly sparking trade friction with the United States due to their growing strength in the American market, the new chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Thursday.

But Fujio Cho told The Japan Times ahead of assuming his post as JAMA chief that Japanese carmakers, because of their increased local production, should not be too worried because they are unlikely to experience the severe bashing from the U.S. public that occurred in the late 1970s and 1980s.

"Two-thirds of Japanese cars sold in the U.S. are produced by Americans there and it has become a U.S. industry," Cho said. "Japanese companies are hiring a huge number of locals, contributing to the U.S. economy."