President Donald Trump recently signaled that he would not oppose Chinese automakers building vehicles within the United States. Per Reuters, his stance conflicts with growing calls for a permanent ban from major industry players. The outlet noted that while on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle, the President said, “If China wanted to come in and open a plant to build their cars here, I’d be okay with that.”
Trump went on to clarify the specific conditions he believes are necessary for such a scenario to work for the American economy. “Japan does it, but they hire our people. The big thing is they hire our people,” he said. Trump explicitly stated that he does not want Chinese automakers to build cars in Mexico and subsequently ship them into the United States. Regarding the broader competitive landscape, Trump told Laura Ingraham, “I’m not knocking Chinese cars.”
