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Japanese automaker Honda has made no announcements regarding planned investment in or construction of manufacturing facilities in Indiana, according to a company spokesperson, despite reports and comments made by President Donald Trump this week.
In a wide-ranging address before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, Trump said his administration’s policies—including recently enacted 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada—would “allow our auto industry to absolutely boom.”
“Already, numerous car companies have announced that they will be building massive automobile plants in America,” Trump said, “with Honda just announcing a new plant in Indiana—one of the largest anywhere in the world.”
A Honda spokesperson told IBJ in a written statement Wednesday that the company appreciated the nod, but no announcement had been made: “While Honda did not announce plans for a new plant in the U.S. at this time, we have invested over $3 billion in advanced vehicle manufacturing in America in just the past three years, with a cumulative total of more than $24.7 billion.”
The president may have been referencing a Monday report by Reuters that said the automaker was planning to move production of its next-generation Civic hybrid to Indiana, instead of Guanajuato, Mexico. Production on the vehicles—an anticipated 210,000 a year—would begin at the Indiana Auto Plant in Greensburg in 2028.
According to the report, the company’s decision was a response to the then-impending tariffs, which went into effect Tuesday. In 2023, the U.S. imported $78 billion in auto parts from Mexico and $20 billion from Canada.
On Wednesday, amid concerns a trade war would harm the country’s manufacturers, the president announced a one-month exemption for U.S. automakers.
Honda had previously declined to comment on the specifics of the Reuters report, saying Civics have been manufactured in Indiana since the plant opened in 2008: “We have the flexibility to produce products in each region based on customer needs and market conditions.”
The 1.3 million-square-foot Indiana Auto Plant employs 2,700 workers. Honda makes its Civic Hatchback, CR-V and Insight Hybrid there.
Last month, Honda reported a 7% decline in profit for the nine months ending in December, but sales gains of 9% over the same period, with demand remaining solid in the U.S. The company had been in talks with competitors Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. to create a joint holding company, but those negotiations ended early this year.
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Imagine that…47 told a lie.
A LIE? Like ONE (1) LIE? Why do we continue to accept Trump and his minions’ lies? His campaign speech on Tuesday was full of them. This is probably the lowest low of leadership. IMHO
When he talks about “Emptying the Swamp”, the swamp I think of is Congress…not the hardworking federal employees who provide services to ALL Americans….not just the wealthiest among us.
John— typing “hardworking federal employees” offsets the rest of your comment
Is Trump a pathological liar? Absolutely
Are government jobs, especially Federal, some of the most cushy gigs available? Absolutely
Chuck, you really believe federal government jobs are “cushy”? That offsets the rest of YOUR comment. These jobs tend to pay a fair amount less than comparable private sector jobs — nearly 25% less. Is there greater job security? Until now, yes, which is one reason federal workers choose jobs that pay 25% less. Are they lazy? Studies show they work longer hours on average than workers in the private sector, for lower pay. One more thing — as many as 30% of federal workers are veterans, a rate six times the private sector. They have put their lives on the line for our nation and have accepted jobs with long hours and lower pay — is it unreasonable for them to hope for a little bit of job security?
Chuck. What’s your point? To castigate federal workers and the jobs they’re doing. I must assume you’re one of those federal employees who isn’t hard working. Or you speak from a position of generalized, speculative knowledge or lack thereof. My comment, right or wrong, was intended to compliment those thousands of hard working federal employees some who lost their jobs.
Perhaps like Trump, Chuck is just projecting.
Technically it’s not a lie. Maybe more like an over exaggerated statement or a jump of the gun before an official announcement by Honda. The article clearly states there is talks of some sort of movement from Honda. Where and when hasn’t yet been decided let alone announced publicly. So you can’t actually say Trump lied just yet. Patients is a virtue
“A fountain of misinformation”…
Just like when he lied about Carrier keeping their facility in Indiana.
Fool me twice…
Reuters made the statement first.
At the end of his tumultuous 4-year reign, he’ll be viewed as either the greatest President ever….or the worst. Time will tell….there is no in between for DJT. Get ready for a hell of a ride one way up or down…..
His first term was already rated as one of the worst and he really didn’t do anything.
Nothing like a well thought out policy! Oops! Guess what, the Liar-in-Chief just announced on his untruth social website that he’s suspending the Mexico tariffs until April 1st.
What a complete mess he is.
Sounds like Carrier and Foxconn all over again. Trump never answers for his lies. I’m confident most of his supporters if asked are 100% convinced he delivered on those promises.