Trump Isn't Happy About the Chevrolet Cruze

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Updated with statement from General Motors.

It’s not just Ford’s Mexican assembly plants that has President-elect steaming on Twitter.

Donald Trump’s latest online automotive salvo wasn’t directed at the Blue Oval, which was a favorite corporate punching bag during the election campaign. Rather, it was General Motors’ turn to be blasted.

“General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to U.S. car dealers-tax free across border,” Trump tweeted this morning. “Make in U.S.A. or pay big border tax!”

The president-elect has famously threatened Ford and other automakers who manufacture vehicles south of the border with a 35-percent import tax. While GM primarily builds the Cruze at its Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant, it bolsters that production with overflow from Mexico. Last year, the automaker said that domestic demand of the next-generation Cruze would be partly met with vehicles from its Ramos Arizpe, Mexico plant.

General Motors replied shortly after Trump’s tweet with an official statement, saying, “General Motors manufacturers the Chevrolet Cruze sedan in Lordstown, Ohio. All Chevrolet Cruze sedans sold in the U.S. are built in GM’s assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio. GM builds the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for global markets in Mexico, with a small number sold in the U.S.”

The lack of demand for passenger cars recently forced GM to curtail production at several U.S. plants to get ballooning inventories under control. In mid-December, GM had a 121-day supply of Cruze models. To stem the flow, Lordstown will shut down for a week this month.

[Image: General Motors]

Steph Willems
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  • SCE to AUX SCE to AUX on Jan 03, 2017

    About 100 people from my last company (taken over by Honeywell) lost their jobs to Mexico and China this year, thanks to that company's CEO Dave Cote, who happens to be the CEO most frequently visiting the White House under Obama. http://fortune.com/2015/12/15/obama-ceo-white-house/ Honeywell's acquisitions follow a common pattern of decimation, including the outsourcing of all manufacturing to third parties (and much engineering, also), and not because they weren't profitable - it's because they weren't profitable *enough*. Ironically, Mexico may not be the final destination for this work, because Honeywell can save even more money by going to China. Before the acquisition, we were already outsourcing some components to stay competitive, without sacrificing any in-company jobs. In fact, it can be argued this actually saved American jobs. But it was done very carefully. It's hard to watch a sister plant of 700 people dwindle to 25, then close. It's hard to watch another sister plant of 2000 people shrink to 400 and falling. And it's hard to stomach teaching foreign workers your job so it can be taken over by them. And it's hard to leave a dying business that thrived for most of the years you were there, hoping the remaining people will find jobs (like I did) before the office closes for good. So while I'm sympathetic to Trump's rhetoric on this issue, I don't think chanting "USA, USA!" is the only answer. I just wish he'd do more homework on subjects of such national importance, and close his Twitter account. As for Trump himself (I voted for him, only deciding at the last second not to go third party), the burden of the Presidency will be quite a surprise. To the Trump haters, however, I say this: Don't believe the cartoon. The US isn't going to turn into Nazi Germany, the Jim Crow South, or some banana republic with a dictator at its helm. These ridiculous stereotypes simply won't materialize.

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    • Chan Chan on Jan 04, 2017

      @mtmmo Agree that the Dems are out of touch, but so are most of the other politicos. And nobody applauded the guy who harassed Ivanka Trump's family--check your actual news. Verbal abuse is a quick ticket to getting arrested.

  • Whittaker Whittaker on Jan 03, 2017

    Strange things have happened in the last 18 months but none stranger than supposedly smart people repeatedly underestimating Trump. And now, every other post on this topic is insinuating that more middle-class blue-collar jobs in the U.S. is somehow a bad thing, or a reason for Trump voters to feel regret, or a trick, or something something racist Walmart Silverado something. The election is over. People gotta step back from their anger and disappointment. If Trump is a disaster, then he is a disaster. Things won't be any better because you made 6,000 posts on TTAC telling half of America that they are stupid. Rule #1. If you are emotionally distraught or your anger is boiling, DO NOT POST ON THE INTERNET! Exception granted to Deadweight, whose brilliance only grows with his discomfort, due, I suspect, to a smidge of outer space DNA.

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    • 28-Cars-Later 28-Cars-Later on Jan 04, 2017

      @VoGo The idiocracy has been in play for at least twenty years.

  • Philipwitak Philipwitak on Jan 04, 2017

    anybody ever heard of nafta? it is the controlling trade deal that treats all production vehicles manufactured in canada, mexico and the u.s.a. as domestic makes for all three countries. under nafta, tariffs of the sort 'donnie dips hit' threatens are not permitted. and i don't see canada or mexico expressing any interest whatsoever in renegotiating nafta.

    • See 1 previous
    • Mtmmo Mtmmo on Jan 04, 2017

      philipwitak apparently you have limited knowledge of NAFTA. President Trump can easily cancel the agreement as it only requires a six month written notice. That however won't be necessary as Canada and Mexico are already on record to following President Trump wishes and renegotiating the agreement. It's just one small step in President Trump Making America Great Again.

  • Akear Akear on Jan 05, 2017

    Why isn't trump mad that the Bolt was engineered and designed in Korea. White collar workers are getting the shaft too in this country.

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