Washington, DC – The main automobile manufacturers in the country warned today that the closure of the border with Mexico, as threatened by President Donald Trump, will cause serious problems for the sector.
Auto Alliance, which represents some of the world’s leading car manufacturers and produces 70% of the vehicles sold in the country, today requested in a statement to avoid closing the border.
The group, which includes companies such as BMW, Fiat Chrysler (FCA), Ford, General Motors (GM), Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, the Volkswagen group and Volvo, recalled that US factories depend on parts and components produced in Mexico for ride cars.
“In many cases, the components can cross the border several times before being integrated into the final assembly of the vehicle, and we ask all parties to work together to avoid closing the border that would cause serious disruption to the North American automobile sector.” said the group.
Experts estimate that the bilateral trade of automobile components between the United States and Mexico is worth 252 million dollars a day.
Almost 40% of the components needed to produce vehicles in the United States come from Mexico. Only last year, car manufacturers in the United States imported almost 60 billion dollars of components produced in Mexico.
Auto Alliance added that “the cost of all this will fall on consumers and make it more difficult for them to be able to pay for a new vehicle that is cleaner, safer and more efficient in its consumption”.
In addition to the Auto Alliance, the group representing the three US manufacturers (GM, Ford and FCA), the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC), also expressed concern about the possible closure of the border and its impact on the sector.
AAPC said in a statement that the closure of the border “would damage the economy of the United States and in particular the automobile sector.”
The reaction of the automobile sector comes hours after Trump threatens to close the border with Mexico with the argument that “safety is more important than trade” in relation to the arrival of immigrants to the southern border of the country .
And last Friday, Trump said on Twitter that “if Mexico does not immediately stop ALL the illegal immigration that arrives in the United States through the southern border,” this week would close “the border or large sections of the border.” ( EFEUSA)
