It’s pure speculation what U.S. President Donald Trump is thinking. Pinpointing what the president will do and when he’ll do it requires Miss Cleo levels of clairvoyance. But she passed in 2016, and now we’re left wondering and waiting.
Last week, Trump called for a border shutdown on the U.S.-Mexico border, his solution for the growing immigration crisis. He’s since backpedaled, punting the issue to Congress while exploring the possible economic consequences of such an action — and the results could be devastating not only for the U.S. automotive industry but also the country’s entire economy.
More than $1 billion in goods flow back and forth across the border daily, and many of those goods are various automobile parts. USA Today took a look at how, exactly, a border shutdown would affect the auto industry, and the consequences could be immediate.
For example, over 80 percent of wiring harnesses, now a crucial component in our increasingly techno-packed cars, come from south of the border — Mexico and Central and South America. A border shutdown could stop those parts from reaching factories in the U.S., thus halting production.
A border shutdown could hurt vehicle imports, too. Now that General Motors is building the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer in Mexico, a shutdown would stymie its import to U.S. dealerships at a time when crossovers are still the hot consumer craze. And GM has several factories in Mexico, too, building vehicles, engines, and other components.
Predicting the ramifications of a border shutdown is next to impossible, Miss Cleo be damned. The effects could be varied and wide-ranging, affecting the automotive industry in unknown ways. Automakers like GM would have to idle production in the U.S. because you can’t build a car without all the parts, and moving production that happens in Mexico and other southern countries to the U.S. would take an incomprehensible amount of time, money, and resources. How long would the border shutdown last? Would it even make sense to move production to the U.S.? Those are difficult and expensive questions.
While Trump has stepped away from the apparent dangerous economic line, it seems he’s still exploring the possibility.
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Source: USA Today
Comments
Love our President even if the GMA bloggers attack him almost every day. The economy is great again, unemployment lowest in 50 years, and he is trying hard to both protect and re-grow manufacturing in this country.
Mark my words, Trump will win again in 2020. People are seeing through the fake news now.
The economy has been great since the Obama term. The country is continuing to reap the benefits of policies implemented during the previous administration.
Trump has done nothing to protect or re-grow manufacturing. One thing he could do is move all of the Trump products from China and other countries to the US. He alone could do this and have an immediate claim to bringing jobs back to the US.
I have no doubt Trump will be reelected in 2020 even thought the Dems would be much better for the country’s future economically and socially along with foreign policy (which hardly exists at this point).
There is no problem with fake news the problem is actually with “alternative facts” and gas lighting from the right and the current administration.
Most journalists are just doing their jobs and reporting facts – or you know freedom of the press which this admin also has an issue with.
Scary times for sure.
Unemployment is only low because labor force participation is low. The economy is looking horrific these last two years. He’s literally causing manufacturing plants to close here.
Your frozen Siberian *** clearly can’t see through the fake news. Poor ruskie!
ANDREW YANG 2020
Screw both of these political parties, they will sell you out.
Vote libertarian or constitution party.
Parties are for sheep.
I’m No Party Preference like the framers intended.
Obama pulled us out of the largest recession since the Great Depression. By the time the economy fully recovered, eight years passed and Trump took all the credit. So don’t pretend he is the reason the economy is thriving. He’s not.
P.S. (sorry, click to edit feature didn’t work) Remember when GMA bloggers were trying to scare us about China, saying the American economy would implode if we didn’t give in to China?
The American economy is performing at the best level in 50 years while the Chinese economy is tanking. Same goes with the Mexico scaremongering attempts.
if you haven’t noticed, trump is the king of scaremongering.
no collusion!!!! just confusion!!!!
One can never tell with Trump because he hates illegal immigrants more than Democrats.
because OUR politicians are allowing illegals in this country for nothing, yet americans are being pushed aside, ugh!
I remember when the president wasn’t so entrenched in the auto conversation. I say Mr President just do it. Close the borders. We don’t want tough sound bites. Just do it.
I heard Trump wanted to block the border, but his, I Love USA hat ( made in China), didn’t fit and, messed his hair, as well as the fact his pepper spray was empty.
Probably just a rumor.
BTW- I don’t do politics or allegiance to any party. Just poking fun, because life should be fun!
Its absurd to think that something as complex as the US economy can be a failure or success based on who is sitting in the oval office. The economy runs in cycles. Its a guarantee we will go through another recession no matter whom is the sitting president.
Trump just announced that he would apply tariffs on cars imported from Mexico if the illegal immigration doesn’t get resolved which means whatever advantage General Motors CEO Mary Barra thinks the company is getting by exporting jobs to Mexico could potentially disappear.
Jobs going to mexico help keep prices down in this country. Why is the minimum wage STILL $7.50???? Trump is the president and not the KING. Where are those tax returns tax dodging draft dodger??? 22.1 trillion in debt.
Feelin’ the heat yet, Mary?