On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump held his first full news conference since winning the 2016 general election in November. Here are some highlights from the Associated Press regarding Trump's comments about U.S. manufacturing:
Jobs
Trump says that more factories open in the industrial Midwest, highlighting his direct outreach to companies and repeating his campaign pledge to be "the greatest jobs producer that God created."
At his first news conference since his election, Trump beamed over plans by Fiat Chrysler to add 2,000 jobs at plants in Michigan and Ohio. He also noted that Ford would not be building a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico and would instead update an existing Michigan factory and add 700 jobs. Trump had called on Ford to not open a new factory in Mexico, although economic forces beyond the incoming administration's direct control such as gasoline prices also influenced the decision.
Trump said additional factory job announcements would be coming, saying, "I hope General Motors will be following."
The president-elect added that he wants to bring overseas pharmaceutical manufacturing jobs to the United States, although he plans to negotiate on the prices the government pays for medication.
Border Tax
Donald Trump is recommitting to plans to impose a border tax on manufacturers who shutter plants and move production abroad.
"There will be a major border tax on these companies that are leaving and getting away with murder," Trump said at the Wednesday news conference.
Border taxes may help retain jobs, but they carry the risk of increasing prices for consumers.
The president-elect has been meeting with chief executives and touting commitments by United Technologies and others to keep jobs in the United States. Such moves have done little so far to move the dial on job growth for the broader U.S. economy, although Trump stressed that he was using these deals to set a new tone that offshoring would be penalized.
Trump says: "What really is happening is the word is now out."
