Did you know that Mazda makes a truck? In the United States, the automaker is largely known for making the affordable Miata sports car and reliable SUVs. In other markets, however, the Mazda badge also adorns the BT-50 Ute.

The 2026 model came out earlier this year, with headline features including the ability to tow more than 7,700 pounds, carry around a 2,600-pound payload, and tackle rugged terrain with its 4×4 powertrain. Pair that with its rugged looks, and you’d think it’d be a hit in the U.S. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Mazda plans to return to the American pickup market. The automaker last offered an American-market truck in 2009, when it discontinued the B-Series due to low sales.

When Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro discussed future ideas with Car and Driver in 2025, he was more excited about a potential rotary-engine Mazda sports car. When asked about a pickup truck, Moro said: “We get requests from our data partners to see a small pickup truck, but we don’t have the platform to do it.” However, he admitted that many people like pickup trucks, alienating Mazda from that large market, adding that “It’s a good time to think about a future portfolio.” That doesn’t mean that the BT-50 is coming to the U.S. any time soon, though, and it’s probably all down to the Chicken Tax.

With the low demand for Mazda’s B-Series in its final years, it’s possible that Mazda doesn’t think that the BT-50 would be right for the U.S. market, especially if it would have to pay the so-called Chicken Tax. This is a 25% tax on imported light trucks, imposed in the 1960s as a retaliatory measure against European tariffs on American chickens — hence the name. Decades later, the Chicken Tax persists, specifically impacting light truck imports, including the made-in-Thailand BT-50.

To get around the Chicken Tax, other automakers have gotten creative. Some open factories in the United States, while others find workarounds. Ford has avoided over $250 million in Chicken Tax over the years by having its Ford Transit Connect vans pass through customs before ripping out the rear seats, which the government claims were designed to be thrown away. However, the Chicken Tax still holds automakers back today — and it’s believed that’s part of the reason American pickup trucks are so large.