Global auto suppliers are working out how much of their production can be moved to the United States, or closer to it, as a defense against tariffs promised by President-elect
The auto industry has already experienced eight years of U.S. protectionism from the president-elect first term and the current president.
Such high tariffs would be hard to pass on to consumers and would render many auto parts produced in lower-cost markets uneconomical, or in the case of China make it virtually impossible to sell products in the U.S.
When Toyota announced plans to produce the Corolla sedan in Mexico for U.S. consumers in early 2017, the current president-elect threaten Toyota.
Within a year, Toyota announced a joint $1.6 billion plant in Alabama with Mazda instead