Washington, D.C., Jan. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In his State of the Union address, the President highlighted the auto industry’s expansion and investment in the U.S. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has made that manufacturing renaissance possible. Last year alone, automakers and suppliers announced more than $9.5 billion in new U.S. investment.
Today, 13 automakers (soon to be 15) build cars in 14 states across the U.S. Our industry, including OEMs, suppliers, and retailers, supports more than seven million U.S. jobs. The U.S. auto industry is more innovative, vibrant, and competitive than ever.
Since NAFTA took effect, 15 manufacturing plants have been launched in the U.S. (more than Mexico and Canada, combined) and there has been substantial, multi-billion-dollar reinvestment in existing plants. These 15 new manufacturing plants have resulted in the creation of more than 50,000 direct and 350,000 indirect auto jobs throughout the U.S.
In 2016, our industry produced one million more U.S. cars and trucks than we did before NAFTA. We export more than twice as many cars per year than we did before NAFTA. NAFTA is working for America.
We agree with the importance of strong trade agreements. We must maintain the competitiveness of the U.S. auto industry without sacrificing our economic success and putting jobs at risk.
Keeping America first means keeping America globally competitive. Trade agreements like NAFTA make this possible.
Driving American Jobs is a coalition of automotive trade associations, manufacturers, parts suppliers and dealers to safeguard American jobs in the automotive industry. For more information, please visit our webpage at drivingamericanjobs.com, join us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.
The Coalition comprises members of the American Automotive Policy Council, The American International Automobile Dealers Association, The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the Association of Global Automakers, and the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, who have joined together for the first time in their collective history to defend one of America’s most important trade agreements and the American workers whose jobs depend on trade.
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