OPINION:
America’s auto industry is leading the nation’s manufacturing renaissance, and it’s being powered by international automakers. These companies are investing billions of dollars into our economy, making President Trump’s vision of a Golden Age of American manufacturing a reality.
For years, Mr. Trump has championed reinvigorating U.S. manufacturing, bringing back investment and restoring American dominance in key areas such as the automotive industry. That’s not a partisan goal; it’s a pragmatic one that international automakers have supported nationwide for decades.
Look no further than Hyundai’s $12.6 billion investment in Georgia to build three new facilities, including its Metaplant in Savannah, the largest economic development project in the state’s history. Or Toyota’s new $13.9 billion battery plant in Liberty, North Carolina, which is expected to employ more than 5,000 people. Or BMW’s $1 billion expansion of Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, the company’s largest production facility in the world. These major commitments from international automakers reinforce a broader trend: America is the place where the world wants to build cars.
These investments aren’t just for show; they represent a long-term commitment to investments in the U.S. International automakers now account for nearly half of all U.S. vehicle production. Companies represented by Autos Drive America have collectively invested $124 billion into American facilities, supply chains and workforce development programs. They have built state-of-the-art factories, partnered with local communities and supported more than 2.4 million American jobs. They have outproduced the Detroit Three automakers for the past two years by relying on American skills, ingenuity and infrastructure.
Over the past 30 years, international automakers have cemented their role as a powerhouse in U.S. manufacturing, with more than 115 million cars produced since 1994. Today, in states such as Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Indiana, international nameplates are reshaping the industrial landscape, not just assembling vehicles but also engineering, testing and sourcing major components right here in the U.S. Add in undertakings such as Honda’s $3.5 billion venture with LG in Fayette County, Ohio, and Toyota and Mazda’s joint venture in Huntsville, Alabama, and this is what real economic revitalization looks like.
Yet this momentum faces a serious threat from broad tariffs on auto imports, parts, and steel and aluminum needed to build vehicles in the U.S.
The uncertainty surrounding tariffs is already unsustainable for automotive producers and suppliers. It makes long-term planning, especially for major investments, difficult because every dollar spent on tariffs is a dollar that cannot be spent on bringing production to the United States.
Autos Drive America believes an effective trade policy can reward investment, not punish it. If we want to maintain and expand the progress made over the past decade, we must continue supporting American manufacturing through competitive tax policy, workforce training, infrastructure investment and strategic trade agreements that reinforce, not restrict, U.S.-based production.
I agree with Mr. Trump that America should never surrender its leadership in industries such as automotive manufacturing. Thanks to the commitment of international automakers, we haven’t. We’re winning again on factory floors, in technical colleges and at groundbreaking ceremonies across the country.
If we stall this growth, we risk losing that edge. We can’t afford to turn our back on companies that are already doing exactly what the president has asked: investing in America and betting on American workers. Let’s keep that engine running.
• Jennifer Safavian is president and CEO of Autos Drive America, the leading trade association representing international automakers with operations in the United States.
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