Trump urges US automakers to make big push for new plants

REUTERS, AFP
US President Donald Trump speaks with General Motors CEO Mary Barra during a meeting with automobile leaders in Washington on Tuesday. (AFP)

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump pushed the chief executives of General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Tuesday to increase production in the US and boost American employment.
Trump opened a meeting with GM CEO Mary Barra, Ford CEO Mark Fields and Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne at the White House by saying he wants to see new auto plants built in the US.
The new Republican president vowed to cut regulations and taxes to make it more attractive for businesses to operate in the US. He promised frequently during his election campaign to be a job-creating president and stressed that message in his inaugural speech last Friday.
“We have a very big push on to have auto plants and other plants — many other plants,” he told reporters at the start of the meeting with auto executives. “It’s happening.”
The meeting was the latest sign of Trump’s uncommon degree of intervention for a US president into corporate affairs as he has repeatedly pressured automakers and other manufacturers to “buy American and hire American.”
Marchionne told reporters after the meeting that Trump did not give them specifics on what regulations he would cut.

Controversial projects revived
Trump on Tuesday revived two oil pipeline projects blocked by his predecessor on environmental grounds, signalling his determination to undo Barack Obama’s legacy.
Trump gave a conditional go-ahead to the Keystone XL pipeline — which would carry oil from Canadian tar sands to US refineries on the Gulf Coast — and an equally controversial pipeline crossing in North Dakota.
Both had been put on hold by president Barack Obama’s administration on environmental grounds.
Since being sworn in on Friday Trump has begun rolling out an orthodox Republican agenda.
He has moved to curb funding for abortions, embraced Israel, frozen government hiring and sought to loosen environmental regulations.
His administration has also sought to place a tighter grip on departments that may not be sympathetic to his politics.