Hyundai CEO: Level Playing Field to Counter China — SkimNews
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- Hyundai CEO José Muñoz said at the 2027 Tucson reveal in New York that the US needs 'a level playing field' combining protectionist policy with product improvements to keep Chinese automakers at bay, contrasting with louder warnings from other auto CEOs
- Chinese automakers have damaged European brands like Volkswagen, Volvo, and Mercedes by offering vehicles roughly 30% below European-made rivals even after EU import tariffs
- Hyundai has no defensive strategy specific to Chinese imports, instead pursuing vertical integration including a $5.8 billion Louisiana investment to produce green steel and bring tech and components in-house
- President Donald Trump has said several times he would be open to Chinese automakers building US manufacturing plants if they hire American workers, with experts believing it is 'only a matter of time' before Chinese vehicles reach the US market
- US EV adoption sits below 6%, compared to over 20% in Europe and over 60% in China, with the elimination of federal EV subsidies under Trump and Republicans cited as a major drag alongside polarization and charging infrastructure gaps
- Hyundai Group recently surpassed Honda to claim second place in US hybrid sales behind Toyota, with Muñoz noting Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 EVs plus a battery joint venture with SK On near its Georgia Metaplant
Why it matters: Hyundai's 'no specific China strategy' admission is the disclosure buried in a CEO interview full of vertical-integration talking points, and it puts the company's $5.8 billion Louisiana steel bet at the center of its competitive defense in a US market where EV adoption is below 6% and federal subsidies have been killed.
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