General Motors defended itself Tuesday from a Donald Trump tweet attack, saying only a "small number" of one Mexican-made Chevy Cruze model is sold in the United States.



"All Chevrolet Cruze sedans sold in the U.S. are built in GM's assembly plant in Lordstown, Ohio," the company said in a statement. "GM builds the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for global markets in Mexico, with a small number sold in the U.S."

The president-elect earlier slammed GM in a tweet, claiming the auto giant is making a Cruze model in Mexico and then sending them to U.S. dealers tax free.

Donald Trump tweet

GM told CNBC it sold about 190,000 Cruzes in the U.S. in 2016. About 4,500 of those, or 2.4 percent, were hatchbacks made in Mexico.

GM shares initially fell in premarket trade after Trump's attack but traded higher after the market opened.

Trump ran on pledges to discourage American companies from moving production overseas and has targeted various corporations for their practices. Trump has already touted a deal in which United Technologies unit Carrier will get $7 million in financial incentives to keep some jobs in Indiana. It will still close another Indiana facility and move hundreds of jobs to Mexico.

Trump has also targeted Boeing and Lockheed Martin on Twitter, hitting the companies for what he called overly expensive defense contracts. Both companies' stocks briefly fell in response to Trump's criticism.

GM CEO Mary Barra also serves on Trump's strategic and policy forum, a group of CEOs that advises him on economic policy.

In November, GM said it planned to lay off 2,000 employees at two U.S. plants, including the Lordstown facility, in early 2017.