Reading the article I get the impression that it’s trying to spin things to sound like the companies are bowing to pressure from Trump, but if you read it carefully it sounds like most of these plans were already on the table or at least being condidered. That won’t stop Trump from claiming responsibility, of course.
Standard sales tactic: you want to do A, and you manage to get the boss convinced that it was his idea to do A. Hey, if it works, why shouldn’t they do it?
The danger is that disingenuous articles like this can strengthen his support and maybe even soften some of his opposition.
How long these plans have been in the making isn’t all that relevant, they are now carried through or not based on the policies these companies expect from Trump. If they think their best bet for profits will be to increase manufacturing in the US, then that’s what they will do, but that’s based on the assumption Trump actually implements his policies and doesn’t just issue threats.
If he goes “See! They all bowed to my pressure and now we don’t need the tariffs after all!” they will keep doing the bulk of manufacturing where it is cheapest.
Trump or no Trump, these emerging (well not so much Toyota) corporate giants would absolutley invest in the world’s third largest by population country and largest economy.
The Alibaba one made me smirk. “We’ll encourage more people to sell on us and if each place hires an Alibaba listing guy then we made a million jobs.”
Toyota already has jobs in the US.
The most American car is the Camry. All their North American market cars are made in the US except for a few (if list is still current, FJ Cruiser is no longer made).
Mission accomplished!