On the same day that the United Auto Workers (UAW) decided to strike GM, the automaker has announced it's ramping-up its US to China exports by $800m. The Economic Times reports that Shanghai GM (GM's joint venture with China's SAIC Group) will import the Buick Enclave CUV for China's 400 Buick dealers. As concerns about Chinese outsourcing form no small part of the UAW's beef with The General, the timing of the announcement can be seen as a carrot or a palliative for union reps and members who consider job security Job One. Of course, the strike obviates Enclave export for the foreseeable future, and the union is keenly aware that GM imports billions of dollars worth of Chinese parts for their North American products, with the threat of fully-assembled cars from The Peoples Republic replacing NorAm products. Still, nice try.
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Great(!) An $800 million export order and now no-one to make the cars!
Never mind, they must have some leftovers from their inventory?
Also, don’t they have a manufacturing plant in China? Wouldn’t it make more sense to make them there and keep costs down?
Nice try GM, as you say, but it’s all PR fluff to make the UAW look pathetic. (Not that either GM nor the UAW need any help looking lame).
Next comes a production deal with a china company. The fat lady will sing when that happens.
could also be China trying to maintain it’s currency against the dollar and/or stay out of the WTO doghouse.
400 Buick dealers!! OMG..why how??