Ford vs. Trump The Mexico debate
When Donald Trump criticized Ford during last week’s debate for moving jobs to Mexico, the automaker replied with unusual swiftness.
Ford posted on Twitter that it has created almost 28,000 U.S. jobs in five years and employs more U.S. hourly workers than any automaker. It also tweeted that no U.S. jobs would be lost as it shifts production of the Focus and C-Max compact cars from suburban Detroit to a new Mexican plant. The Michigan factory’s 3,700 workers will build two new vehicles.
Trump and Ford have been sparring for months about building cars in Mexico as Trump blasted what he says are unfair trade deals. But Executive Chairman Bill Ford said his company “is everything that (Trump) should be celebrating about this country.”
Kelley Blue Book analyst Karl Brauer says Ford is prickly because it’s being criticized for good business decisions. Cheaper labor and favorable trade terms “make it difficult to justify small-car assembly in this country,” he said. Ford isn’t alone. General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen and others have built factories in Mexico, which now has at least 19 auto assembly plants.