Donald Trump threatens Toyota with high tax tariff in tweet
President-elect Donald Trump has hit out at Japanese car manufacturer Toyota, saying that if the firm builds a car factory in Mexico, it will be forced to pay a hefty tax.
In a tweet – Trump's preferred method of political communication – the President-elect demanded Toyota build a car factory in the U.S.
Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2017
Toyota responded by saying its employment in the US will not be diminished by the plant in Guanajuato, Mexico.
In a statement, the company said: "Toyota has been part of the cultural fabric of the US for nearly 60 years.
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"With more than $21.9bn direct investment in the US, 10 manufacturing facilities, 1,500 dealerships and 136,000 employees, Toyota looks forward to collaborating with the Trump Administration to serve in the best interests of consumers and the automotive industry."
The spat came after Trump pressured General Motors and Ford to halt plans to manufacture cars in Mexico.
In a tweet, Trump wrote: "General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers – tax free across border. Make in USA or pay big border tax!"
Trump then claimed a victory when Ford responded by scrapping its plans for the £1.3bn car factory in Mexico.
Thank you to Ford for scrapping a new plant in Mexico and creating 700 new jobs in the U.S. This is just the beginning – much more to follow
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2017