Trump open to Chinese car plants in US
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
US President Donald Trump said he is not opposed to Chinese automakers manufacturing vehicles in the United States, even as he insisted he would keep the ban on imports of Chinese cars. In a Fox News interview aired on Friday, September 11, he said the key condition would be that Chinese companies hire American workers, while ruling out a Mexico-based route into the US market.
Key Points
- Trump told Fox News programme The Ingraham Angle on Friday, September 11, that he could accept Chinese carmakers building factories in the US if they employ American workers.
- He said Japan had followed a similar model by producing vehicles in the United States and hiring local staff, which he described as the crucial point
- Trump denied reports he planned to lift the import ban on Chinese vehicles, saying the US market would be flooded without the restriction
- He added he did not want Chinese automakers to manufacture cars in Mexico and then export low-priced vehicles into the United States.
- The remarks came before Trump’s planned meeting in Washington with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks, amid pressure from US lawmakers and automakers to keep Chinese firms out
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers tracking China-US trade and manufacturing policy, Trump’s position points to a narrow opening for Chinese carmakers only if production and jobs are shifted onto US soil, rather than through direct exports. It also leaves uncertainty over whether any broader deal with Beijing could alter market access, as Congress and the US auto industry are still pushing for a permanent block on Chinese vehicles