German Vice Chancellor Responds to Trump's Auto Tariff Threat: 'Build Better Cars'

[DonViejo]

Source: Mediaite


by Alex Griswold | 12:17 pm, January 16th, 2017

German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel hit back against Donald Trump‘s threat to place a massive tariff on German cars entering the United States, responding that the U.S. should just make better cars instead.

“If you want to build cars in the world, then I wish you all the best. You can build cars for the United States, but for every car that comes to the USA, you will pay 35 percent tax,” Trump told the German newspaper Bild. Trump suggested that Germany was already treating the American automakers unfairly, noting the lack of Chevrolet in the country. Gabriel was unamused. “I believe BMW’s biggest factory is already in the US, in Spartanburg,” he noted in an interview with Bild.

“The US car industry would have a bad awakening if all the supply parts that aren’t being built in the US were to suddenly come with a 35 percent tariff. I believe it would make the US car industry weaker, worse and above all more expensive,” he continued. “I would wait and see what the Congress has to say about that, which is mostly full of people who want the opposite of Trump.”

When asked about the lack of American cars in Germany, Gabriel was even more blunt. “The U.S. needs to build better cars,” he said.

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Read more: http://www.mediaite.com/online/german-vice-chancellor-responds-to-trumps-auto-tariff-threat-build-better-cars/

[George II]

1. Roughly 40% or more of the parts in "American" cars are imported by American manufacturers.

[guillaumeb]

2. In Germany, the union IG Metall represents BMW's workers.

The Spartanburg workers are non-union. That is the reason that BMW located in South Carolina. Low wages and low taxes make South Carolina attractive to predatory businesses.

Shifting the work to South Carolina was an attack on BMW union workers in Germany.

Plus Germany imposes a tariff on US imports.

[hollowdweller]

17. Isn't that ironic?

I mean I live in WV and back in the 70's I can remember when tons of plants moved to the Carolina's because they were scab.

Yet now the biggest hatred of immigrants and free trade is the South. Even though their economic boom was fueled by underpricing the labor of the North.

[guillaumeb]

18. Ironic indeed.

Remaking the South into a newer version of a plantation society.

My daughter lived and worker in Lynchburg Virginia for a number of years. We frequently drove through West Virginia. Really beautiful countryside from the Robert Byrd turnpike, but driving off the main road one can see how the countryside was ruined by coal extraction.

[7962]

3. We actually DO build pretty good cars these days

If you look at the difference between the repair rates of the top US & foreign cars, the difference between 1-20 really isnt that much.

I remember when i looked for my 1st car with my dad (late 70s). When we would see one that had 60k miles on it he'd say, "Thats already 1/2 worn out". My last car, a pontiac G6, had 330k when i sold it to my neighbor, who STILL drives it. Other than regular maintenance, it only had a water pump replaced.The car prior to that one, a Chevy monte carlo, had 240k on it when i sold it.

[Elmergantry]

4. would a better car

Mean one that bypasses pollution controls because ur biggest manufacturer sucks at it? Fine german engineering indeed.

[physioex]

5. And don't forget.....

Loaded with quirky crap with each repair requiring a specialized tool not to mention over prized spares.

[jmowreader]

6. That describes every car being made today

For extra entertainment, try to figure out what coolant goes in your car.

[physioex]

9. Totally agree....

But as a generalization the Japanese are much better, Honda and Acura are my favs to service....

[jmowreader]

10. Is Honda still sticking the alternators behind the 4-cylinder engines?

I had to change the alternator in an Accord once. After I got done I decided next time I have to do that job I'm pulling the engine first.

For real entertainment, change the clutch on a New Beetle. There's about an inch of clearance between the end of the transmission and the side of the car. I'm still not sure how the hell I got it out - or worse, back in.

[physioex]

16. They are all like that.....

However you can work on the cars with very few to no specialized tools.

[Elmergantry]

23. I have a 96 Dodge Ram Cummins.

Last of the Keep It Simple Stupid trucks before all the electronic bullshit. I baby it; could sell it in a heart beat. Getting a paint job this winter.

[truthisfreedom]

7. Tesla.

[JI7]

14. too expensive

[jmowreader]

15. THANK you!

Is it just me, or is Tesla the perfect Realtor Car? You buy one and park it at the office for all the agents to use to take prospects to see houses. There's no range anxiety because it lives on the charger and only goes a few miles at a time. It impresses the hell out of the customers because everyone knows how expensive they are. And you can write it off as a business expense.

For everyone else they're still outrageously expensive. Even the "economy" Model 3 is super expensive. If you really want to cut your carbon footprint, do what I did: buy a car that gets great fuel economy, and move so close to work and shopping you rarely have to use it.

[Kennah]

20. Electric cars aren't the future. Public transit is. And bikes. (n/t)

[jmowreader]

21. How big of a city do you live in?

Out here in flyover country, liquid-fueled personal vehicles will still be very important.

[Kennah]

22. For the near future, yes, you are correct. However, it won't last.

Olympia is about 50K, the county is about 270K. I know plenty of folks who commute 20, 40, even 60 miles one way to work--often not as part of a vanpool or carpool. I don't see the sustainability of their choices long term. Peak Oil, not a Dust Bowl, will drive (no pun intended) future migrations.

[dalton99a]

8. It's our president-elect that is defective

[LeftyMom]

11. Domestic small cars are crap.

He's not wrong.

[sarah FAILIN]

12. I work at a place that produces parts for BMW and Mercedes

This includes full bumpers, essentially the front and rear of the vehicle. We ship all over the world, not just the local plants. It is actually cheaper for us to build a bumper HERE, put it in a rack and send it out of the country for some things instead of sending a complete vehicle. We import some things and export some things. Trump needs to shut his mouth before we lose jobs from his attitude.

[stollen]

13. MY BMW was built in Spartanburg, SC

Trump hasn't a clue.

[Rex]

19. .

[Norbert]

24. It has nothing to do with building better cars.

Not sure what point the vice chancellor was trying to make but car quality isn't the issue, it is a pResident that wants to set policy in a manner that only Kin Jong Un would appreciate.