Auto Industry Sees Threat to Jobs and Profits From Trump’s NAFTA Push

The Trump administration’s push to change the automobile rules in the North America Free Trade Agreement will lead to higher costs on manufacturers and could put jobs at risk, according to research sponsored by an auto supplier trade association.

The US administration is set to seek an increase in the amount of a vehicle’s components that must come from within the region to qualify for duty-free status under the pact, Bloomberg reported.

But changing the so-called rules of origin would increase manufacturing costs and expose carmakers to new tariffs, leading to higher vehicle prices and lower demand for costly technology and safety features, according to research prepared for the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, the auto suppliers’ trade group.

“Up to 24,000 jobs could be impacted, could be lost actually, if we start increasing the cost of products,” Xavier Mosquet, a senior partner at the Boston Consulting Group, said at a conference for the group, citing an analysis he prepared for it.

The warnings come amid a growing chorus of automotive executives and industry groups warning that the Trump administration’s hard-line stance in talks to renegotiate NAFTA could lead to negative consequences for the sector.

Charles Uthus, vice president for international policy at the American Automotive Policy Council, told the conference that NAFTA has created some $10 billion in annual savings for the auto industry in North America since it took effect. Eliminating those efficiencies would amount to “essentially a $10 billion tax on the auto industry in North America,” he said.

The US had a $64 billion trade deficit with Mexico last year, largely thanks to a trade imbalance in autos. Trump has said reducing trade deficits is the administration’s top priority in the renegotiation of NAFTA; a goal shared by the largest union for US auto workers.

“No amount of spin by corporate lobbyists representing companies who outsource can change the facts on what has happened to workers as a result of NAFTA,” United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams said in a statement. “NAFTA renegotiation will only be successful if it leads to higher wages for workers in all three countries and puts an end to our crippling auto trade deficit with Mexico.”

After repeating threats to exit the accord, Trump on Wednesday would not say how he was leaning on a NAFTA deal as he met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the White House. Negotiators from Canada, Mexico and the US began the fourth round of talks to revamp the trade pact on Wednesday outside of Washington.