Ford open to deals with Trump to keep jobs in U.S., Fields says

[jpd80]

 

 

December 2, 2016 @ 4:50 pm

Keith Naughton

Bloomberg......LINK to Autonews...

UPDATED: 12/2/16 5:43 pm ET - adds details

 

Ford Motor Co. is willing to work with Donald Trump to keep jobs in the U.S. if he puts the

right policies in place, CEO Mark Fields said Friday.

 

“We will be very clear in the things we’d like to see,” Fields said in an interview with Bloomberg.

“We’ll continue to advocate for currency-manipulation rules to promote free and fair trade.

 

One of our priorities is making sure fuel-economy standards reflect market realities, tax reform

in general we would be very supportive of, and the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles.”

 

After his election, Trump phoned Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford to discuss the carmaker’s plan

to move production of the Lincoln MKC crossover to Mexico from a plant in Louisville, Kentucky,

Fields said. The discussion helped convince Ford to keep building the Lincoln in the U.S.

 

So I'm wondering what Fields is trying to signal here, is Ford looking for incentives to keep

the next generation Focus and Model E at MAP and cancel the move to Mexico?

[fuzzymoomoo]

 

 

So I'm wondering what Fields is trying to signal here, is Ford looking for incentives to keep

the next generation Focus and Model E at MAP and cancel the move to Mexico?

oh god I f*****g hope not

[BORG]

They aren't building a new plant to suddenly cancel their plans because they still need the capacity for adding products.

 

He's really just talking about other business headwinds and how changing them can help their business, and theoretically keep jobs in the US. This is just Fields leveraging against regulations.

[akirby]

Ford isn't moving their headquarters to another country. This is more about regulations and tariffs.

[RichardJensen]

 

 

So I'm wondering what Fields is trying to signal here, is Ford looking for incentives to keep

the next generation Focus and Model E at MAP and cancel the move to Mexico?

 

Nope.

 

Look carefully at what Fields said:

 

"not one job is being displaced"

 

It's a surprisingly bad article with an even worse headline.

 

Bloomberg (possibly this Naughton guy) got an interview with Fields, and Fields provided typically corporate non-answers.

 

He was asked, presumably, about keeping jobs in the US. He answered by saying that Ford's production plans are flexible (as, within certain parameters, they always are), and said that the company wanted a voice in policy changes that affect it (hardly a revolutionary idea), and that they wouldn't mind incentives (and who would not?).

 

The writer made a story out of this corporate-speak, suggesting that Ford would reconsider cutting jobs (they aren't planning to cut jobs), if Trump negotiates policy with them and they get money.

Edited December 3, 2016 by RichardJensen

[blksn8k2]

It is disturbing to read some of the uninformed comments after that article.

[fuzzymoomoo]

It is disturbing to read some of the uninformed comments after that article.

reading comments on news articles is a bigger mind numbing waste of time than twitter comments.

[MY93SHO]

reading comments on news articles is a bigger mind numbing waste of time than twitter comments.

Try YouTube and Yahoo comments! I'm probably leaving out several 1000 sites with garbage comment sections.

[jpd80]

It's so frustrating, Fields and Ford could have made all of this go away in an instant by

officially confirming that Ranger and Bronco would replace Focus and C-Max and that

the plant, jobs and employee profit bonuses would all continue.

 

Instead we get corporate double speak because Ford refuses to talk about future products

until it's ready and in future when they do I just know that Trump will again take credit for

influencing Ford to do the right thing and replace production at MAP.....

Edited December 3, 2016 by jpd80

[akirby]

I thought the UAW contract already confirmed new products at the plant.

[RichardJensen]

Yeah. Ford already committed to five years of employment at that plant.

[fuzzymoomoo]

I thought the UAW contract already confirmed new products at the plant.

confimed new products but didn't say what they are. They did the same thing for CAP when we here all know it's the return of the Aviator.

[ice-capades]

Ford and Mark Fields are being smart in letting it be known that they're willing to listen, discuss and work with the new administration. No doubt that PEOTUS has their attention with his plan for corporate tax reform.

 

Tariff threats being realistic or not, the UAW membership should love what PEOTUS is trying to do regarding keeping jobs here in the USA and stopping the exporting of jobs to Mexico and other countries. At the same time, the UAW at some point has to accept their own responsibility for why the manufacturing jobs have been lost to Mexico, etc.

[fuzzymoomoo]

Ford and Mark Fields are being smart in letting it be known that they're willing to listen, discuss and work with the new administration. No doubt that PEOTUS has their attention with his plan for corporate tax reform.

 

Tariff threats being realistic or not, the UAW membership should love what PEOTUS is trying to do regarding keeping jobs here in the USA and stopping the exporting of jobs to Mexico and other countries. At the same time, the UAW at some point has to accept their own responsibility for why the manufacturing jobs have been lost to Mexico, etc.

Your making a big assumption that the UAW isn't completely tone deaf and out of touch with their members.

[MKII]

I have noticed that the C-Max is not mentioned when Fields comments on the small car departure from MAP.

So I assume that the C-Max variants are being removed from the North America line-up.

 

"“We have made the decision to move the Focus out, and we’re making that investment now,” Mr. Fields said. “When you look at moving the Focus out of our Michigan assembly plant, that’s to make room for new products—zero jobs affected, zero jobs impacted.”

Edited December 4, 2016 by MKII

[2b2]

nvmd

Edited December 4, 2016 by 2b2

[jpd80]

I have noticed that the C-Max is not mentioned when Fields comments on the small car departure from MAP.

So I assume that the C-Max variants are being removed from the North America line-up.

Yes, the new Model E will take its place.

[theoldwizard]

They aren't building a new plant to suddenly cancel their plans because they still need the capacity for adding products.

Don't forget, there is a mostly empty plant next door to MAP, the old Wayne Assembly.

 

As far a negotiating simplified government regulations, let's not forget that all Transit Connect vans hit the shores with full glass and extra seats. These are removed (and scrapped ?) at the Port of Entry, before being shipped out to dealers to avoid the "chicken tax".

 

Eliminating this would add to Ford's bottom line.

[theoldwizard]

Your making a big assumption that the UAW isn't completely tone deaf and out of touch with their members.

UAW national leadership seems more interested in keeping their own jobs, especially after all of the recent "Right to Work" states !

[silvrsvt]

As far a negotiating simplified government regulations, let's not forget that all Transit Connect vans hit the shores with full glass and extra seats. These are removed (and scrapped ?) at the Port of Entry, before being shipped out to dealers to avoid the "chicken tax".

 

Eliminating this would add to Ford's bottom line.

 

The government caught on and is fining Ford for doing this now

[bzcat]

If Trump is going to boost corporate welfare and give company specific and tailored benefits like he signaled with the Carrier deal, I can't blame every CEO in the county trying to get a piece for his or her company. Fields doesn't even have to shift jobs to Mexico. All he has to do is say he is open to a deal.

[akirby]

That's not the plan. The plan is to give all businesses tax breaks to encourage more businesses to come to the US and for the ones that are here to stay here.

[pictor]

Dreamer, companies "create " just enough jobs to satisfy the minimum requirement and put the rest in in the pocket of the1%

[jasonj80]

If Trump is going to boost corporate welfare and give company specific and tailored benefits like he signaled with the Carrier deal, I can't blame every CEO in the county trying to get a piece for his or her company. Fields doesn't even have to shift jobs to Mexico. All he has to do is say he is open to a deal.

You mean how every other company has treated the government in the past 30 years -- this is hardly a Trump thing and is in every industry from Film to Cars

 

 

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/business/aroundregion/story/2014/jul/15/state-local-governments-boost-incentives-to-lure/252206/

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/Automotive/2015/01/25/City-officials-wrangle-to-keep-Jeep.html

 

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/02/04/lawmakers-debating-continental-incentive-package/79809294/

 

https://blog.nader.org/1985/01/14/gm-and-saturn-incentives/

 

http://fortune.com/2016/09/01/apple-austin-campus/

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1017784548687093560

 

http://www.fayobserver.com/news/business/million-deal-lured-novo-nordisk-to-johnston-county/article_dc62bcca-23b6-5970-8434-d7e783f23e53.html

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/10/08/after-huge-tax-incentive-package-boeing-still-ships-jobs-out-of-washington/?utm_term=.fa9c58993190

 

http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/2014/07/01/costco-development-granted-tax-breaks/11934713/

 

http://stories.accessatlanta.com/movies-tv-filming-atlanta/?ecmp=AJC_filmfreesite1

 

The courts back them too - http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/autos/2006-05-15-tax-break-suit_x.htm

 

 

[akirby]

Dreamer, companies "create " just enough jobs to satisfy the minimum requirement and put the rest in in the pocket of the1%

Guess who pays those taxes. It's not the 1% - it's you and me and every other consumer.

 

Besides it's not about expanding existing companies as much as it's about attracting new businesses especially foreign companies and about keeping companies in the US. In a global economy you can't force companies to do business here. If your county decided to put a 30% tax on gasoline would you keep buying it or would you drive a few extra miles and fill up in another county?

 

These "companies" that liberals hate do create jobs and they create new taxpayers that offset the loss of corporate taxes. And lower business taxes will lower consumer costs at the same time.