German car makers call for freer trade amid Trump policy uncertainty
Detroit — Germany’s motor industry on Monday argued for freer trade within North America and between the US and Europe, as global vehicle brands gathered to showcase their wares in Detroit. The plea at the opening of the annual Detroit auto show comes as auto makers brace for continued confrontation with US President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to slap import tariffs on several major manufacturers for selling Mexican-made cars on the US market. On Sunday Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced a $1bn (£816m) plan to produce three Jeep models in the US. FCA will also move the production of a Ram truck from Mexico to the US. At a news conference at the start of the show, Matthias Wissmann, head of German motor federation VDA, underscored that member companies, which include BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler, had quadrupled production in the US since 2009, producing 850,000 vehicles in the US in 2016. "That is a clear commitment to the US as an industrial location," said Wissman...
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