Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc. is joined with a group of auto companies urging the United States not to impose tariffs on their products

. The United States and Canada have cut jobs and increased prices for consumers, Magna, one of the leading auto suppliers in the United States, said in a letter to US Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, dated June 29 and published online. Other barriers to trade in imported automobiles and / or auto parts would weaken the US economy and threaten to undermine the entire US auto industry, "wrote James Tobin, Magna's director of marketing. 19659006] The Ontario company joined General Motors Co., German BMW AG, and Hyundai Motor Co. of South Korea by pressing their case to the Department of Commerce, even as a senior assistant to the president Donald Trump dismissed concerns as "smoke and mirrors."

"It seems that the threat of imposing these sanctions is designed to achieve certain goals," reported the newspaper Welt am Sonntag, citing a copy of the BMW's letter to the Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross The Munich-based luxury automaker said its nearly $ 9 billion investment in the BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, supports more than 120,000 em

Hyundai said the fees would be devastating for the Seoul-based automaker. South Korean Finance Minister Hyundai said the weakening of Hyundai in South Korea would hurt Trump's efforts to halt North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Peter Navarro, White House trade advisor to the Trump administration that it could reduce US operations and cut jobs if tariffs are widely applied to imported vehicles and auto parts.

"The increase in import tariffs could reduce GMs, reduce home attendance and reduce risk. – US jobs, "said Friday the country's largest automaker, in comments submitted to the Commerce Department.

m GM – a company headed by a CEO, Mary Barra, whose usual tactics are to avoiding the political fray and letting trade groups respond to the president's policies – was surprising to industry observers.And she stressed how much she, and many industry leaders, believe that the stakes are as the president plunges the United States into tit-to-tat commercial wrangling around the world.GM's public statement follows the same steps by Harley-Davidson Inc., Toyota Motor Corp and Daimler AG.

"The comment suggests how serious the impact would be for GM, its employees and its consumers," said Michelle Krebs, an analyst at AutoTrader.com. "GM is at stake, the industry Automob island and the economy in general. "

Navarro replied on Saturday to GM in an interview on CNN, saying the car company was using" smoke and mirrors "to deceive the public. . He said that the impact of the rates on the price of a GM car was equivalent to "a luxury floor mat."

"Even GM cars built here, about half of the content is foreign," added Navarro. become "assembly factories" that assemble components manufactured elsewhere. In the case of BMW's massive operation in South Carolina, it would be about 1900 vehicles each day, many of which are exported.

Navarro added that Trump, after spending a tax break that helps companies like GM and Harley, felt betrayed when they then threatened to move production jobs outside of the United States in response retaliation from foreign countries at Trump's tariffs.

In an interview with Maria Bartiromo that aired Sunday morning on "Sunday Morning Futures". Supporters are a close mirror of Harley's clientele – and they are unhappy with any plans to expand production overseas. "Harley is an American bike" and "they should build them in this country," he said.

Trump has ordered an investigation to determine whether auto imports pose risks to national security last month. samples on steel and aluminum. In Fox's interview, Trump said that tariffs were needed in part because of the European Union's barriers to vehicles built in the United States. "The European Union is perhaps as bad as China, just smaller," Trump said. "They send a Mercedes, we can not send our cars."

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday afternoon that he expected the Commerce Department to complete the investigation "in three or four weeks . " [19659006] Under the Commerce Act, Ross has until February to conclude the investigation. But Trump wants the investigation to be completed before the mid-term elections in November so he can use the tariffs to his political advantage.

The survey worries manufacturers, parts suppliers and automotive retailers because all major automakers – including GM and Ford Motor Co. – import a substantial portion of the vehicles that they sell in the United States from other countries. Coin levies would also have major implications for high-end models such as the Ford F-150 pickup truck and the Toyota Camry sedan by raising prices by several thousand dollars

GM dropped 2.8% at $ 39.40 in New York on Friday. recorded three consecutive weekly declines, the longest since March.

GM's message surprised because the company was in close contact with the Trump administration, said James Albertine, an analyst at Consumer & # 39; s Edge Research at Bloomberg TV

. "This shocked us a bit," he said, "because we thought they were working more to make sure that the administration knows the seriousness of it. impact of tariffs. "

Barra had already tried to stay on good terms with Trump. She continued to participate in her Strategic and Political Forum, even after several other CEOs, such as Bob Iger of Walt Disney and Elon Musk of Tesla, resigned to protest Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement last year. The forum was disbanded in August following Trump's lukewarm response to white supremacist attacks in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Now Detroit-based manufacturer of Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC warns that additional rates – in addition to those recently slapped on steel, aluminum and Chinese products – could hurt GM and finally his customers. According to her, higher prices would reduce sales, especially for less affluent consumers, and reduce the number of workers needed.

If GM was trying to absorb the extra costs, it would have less money to invest in popular vehicles. "The threat of high tariffs on imports of automotive vehicles and components may compromise GM's competitiveness with foreign automakers by erecting large trade barriers that increase our overall costs, removing a key way to compete with manufacturers in low-wage countries, and promote a business environment in which we could retaliate in other markets, "said the company.

GM Chevrolet Silverado pickup was the best selling model According to LMC Automotive, the Chevrolet Equinox crossover was the most used vehicle in Canada, according to LMC Automotive

. announced plans to bring back the Chevy Blazer SUV later this year. The iconic American brand will be built in a factory in Mexico, a decision that has elicited furious comments from the United Auto Workers union. In its response, the UAW said that GM sells 80% of its vehicles manufactured in the United States

"GM imports a lot of pickup trucks from Mexico, so it's a huge problem," Alan Baum a car analyst from West Bloomfield, Michigan, said. "And for parts, it's not just GM." Everyone imports a lot of electronics from Asia, they're valuable pieces. "

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