Image copyright AFP The u.s. automaker Ford made this Tuesday, an announcement that came as a surprise to many, both in the united States as in Mexico.
The company said it thinks to cancel an investment of US$ 1,600 million provided to build a new plant in mexican territory, a project that had been questioned by the president-elect of the U.S., Donald Trump, and whose back he regretted the government of Enrique Peña Nieto.
Ford, the second largest automobile manufacturer of US – he gave two fundamental reasons for the cancellation: the current conditions of the market and the arrival of the american presidency from Trump.
By what the current market and the “factor Trump” was left to the mexican city of San Luis Potosi, in central Mexico, without a plant was estimated to employ 2,800 people?
The chairman and ceo of Ford, Mark Fields, told the BBC that the decision was mainly due to a “dramatic drop in demand for small cars in north America“.
But he added that another factor was the “business environment more favorable in united States that we see under president-elect Trump and some of the policies of growth that has been talking about.”
“yes, That played a role and is a vote of confidence that you can comply with these things”, he added.
For its part, the government of mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto lamented the running back announced by Ford.
“The government of Mexico regrets the decision of Ford Motor Company of the cancellation of the project (…) and has insured the replacement by the company of any disbursement made by the state government for the facilitation of this investment”, said the ministry of Economy said in a statement.
what is the project questioned by Trump
The project of the giant automotive had been questioned by the president-elect of the united States previously, like other plans of factories of american cars in Mexico.
Ford had announced in April of 2016, a million dollar investment for a plant in San Luis Potosí, in which he planned to produce the new generation of model Focus.
The fall in the sales of small cars allowed this rate of production over to another factory of Ford in Mexico, located in the city of Hermosillo, state of Sonora.
“To improve the profitability of the company,” explained the firm.
The company anticipates, in addition, that will invest US$ 700 million in the factory in Flat Rock, Michigan) and that will create 700 direct jobs, in addition to protect other the 3,500 american jobs with your decision.
“This incremental investment in the Assembly Plant in Flat Rock has its origin in the US$ 1,600 million that the company previously planned to invest in the new plant in Mexico,” said the company in a statement.
The plant will not be
The factory assembly of vehicles that Ford planned to build in San Luis Potosi was going to be operational in 2018 and estimated to employ some 2,800 people by 2020.
In the place had already been carried out the early work to prepare the ground with regard to the construction of the factory and the firm had hired 60 people who were in training phase.
The head of the ministry of Economic Development of the state government (Sedeco), Gustavo Puente Orozco, had said in November that in case of breaking the agreement signed there would be penalties.
last August, the director of the company in the country, Gabriel Lopez, said that the new plant was “a success for Mexico.”
“Not just because we’re going to add one more plant to the four that we have (two for vehicles, engines and transmissions), but because of the relevance that is taking the country within the corporation,” he said.
Mexico represents for Ford 6% of its worldwide production and used in the country to almost 9,000 workers.
Ford is the fifth largest producer of vehicles in Mexico, behind Nissan, General Motors, Fiat-Chrysler and Volkswagen.
After learning of the decision of the company, the mexican government noted that the growth of Ford in North America “has responded to a strategy of competitiveness based on global value chains, where America competes with other regions of the world.”
“The jobs created in Mexico have helped to keep manufacturing jobs in the united States, that might have otherwise gone to asian competition”, he added.
Trump vs. Ford
The plans of Ford in Mexico had been subject to questioning by the president-elect of the united States, Donald Trump.
The republican said during his campaign that he would not allow the second largest manufacturer of automobiles in the united States opened a new plant in Mexico and that it would impose tariffs on imported vehicles by the company.
Fields, denied in an interview with CNN that it could have been a concession to the president-elect.
“we have Not reached an agreement with Trump. is What we have done for our business. Our announcements today are a vote of confidence for the economy of the united States”.
“it Is literally a vote of confidence around some of the policies of growth that (Trump) has been outlining,” added the president of Ford, “and that is why we are taking this decision to invest here in the united States and at our plant here in Michigan.”
…and against General Motors
Shortly before the announcement of Ford, Trump launched a threat of retaliation economical to General Motors, the largest automotive firm in your country.
The tycoon is preparing to take over the american presidency next January 20, warned on his Twitter account that “General Motors is sending a model made in Mexico the Chevrolet Cruze, dealers of american cars without paying taxes across the border”.
“I Fabríquenlo in the united States, or pay a high tax at the border!”, said.
Trump warned repeatedly in his campaign that would undertake action against u.s. firms that manufacture products in Mexico by leveraging the low wages and the existence of the Free Trade agreement of North America (NAFTA, for its acronym in English).
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