No change to production plans despite Trump Tweet — GM CEO

Videgaray said setting up a meeting between Pena Nieto and Trump once the American takes office on January 20 was a priority. Late Sunday, Fiat Chrysler announced it was creating 2,000 jobs in the United States, investing $1 billion in factories in two states key to Trump’s victory, OH and MI. “This after.” Trump tweeted.

FCA announced on Sunday it would spend $1 billion (£822 million) to retool factories in OH and MI to build new Jeep sport utility vehicles, as well as a pickup truck, and potentially move production of a Ram heavy-duty pickup truck to MI from Mexico.

“If Donald Trump is honest in carrying out the policies he has proposed – tax restructuring and forming bridges between government business and unions – he will be a great president for the auto industry”, he said. It will continue to make hundreds of thousands of cars south of the border and sell them on American soil.

Trump, who has threatened and singled out for scorn automakers seeking to sell Mexican-built cars on the USA market, cast a long shadow over the 29th annual United States auto showcase, a key opportunity for companies to display new models and technology.

Marchionne, who several times joked about the president’s tweeting habit, said the company will adapt to any potential changes in regulations under Trump’s presidency.

“I know her well, I’ve known her in her prior iterations…and she’s someone I’m very much looking forward to working with”, he said. “I need rules. And right now, they’re all on the table”.

Ford appears to be the automaker’s go-to liaison with the president-elect.

He renewed his pledge to bring American jobs, investment and manufacturing back to the USA, and to impose higher border taxes on firms that choose to carry their operations to Mexico and elsewhere. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump criticized Ford’s announcement a year ago that it would move Focus production to Mexico.

Marchionne wanted to get out the news about adding jobs and investment in the United States in case the company encountered more criticism from Trump, a person familiar with the situation said on Sunday. “You can feel his presence here”. Ford answered that in early January by canceling plans to build a new factory in Mexico and announcing new investments in MI. Still, invoking the steady decline of auto jobs stirs up powerful nostalgia.

He also emphasised on getting the drug industry back.

Swedish automaker Volvo also signaled it plans more investment in the U.S. market.

“We believe the American consumer will be interested in this auto because of the styling and driving experience”, he said, adding that the company needed to thoroughly prepare its vehicles to meet USA safety regulations.

“They make a Camry almost every minute”. Presidents can’t really control exchange rates (and shouldn’t try to), but the dollar has been strengthening lately, which can harm United States production because it makes American exports more expensive in other countries.

“We had a great year in 2016 in every respect”, Barra said. The company also reminded the audience that it pledged to roll out 13 electric vehicles globally in the next five years.

Last week Ford abruptly cancelled a planned $1.6 billion investment in Mexico, and Trump promptly thanked the firm. The company, however, still plans to shift production of the compact Ford Focus to an existing Mexican plant.

Olivier Francois, the FCA executive who is the author of the company’s series of Super Bowl ads, said this week that the overall the company’s image is in pretty good shape overall. CNN did add that Trump, in October, “suggested for the first time that Mexico would reimburse the USA for the cost of the wall”. He told reporters that a lot of vehicle companies are going to be moving in.

While representatives of German vehicle makers touted the virtues of free trade on Monday, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne struck a conciliatory tone with Trump. Over the last three decades, it has built 10 assembly plants in the United States and has added engineering operations that develop numerous cars and trucks it sells here.

At the first press conference since Donald Trump’s election, the President-elect reiterated Wednesday his intent to discourage American manufacturers from doing business outside the United States.