Article content continued

Most companies, though, simply seem to be trying to avoid the presidential crosshairs by showcasing projects already in the works. General Motors Co. on Tuesday announced $1 billion in U.S. investments this year that will add or retain 1,500 workers. But the plan was approved before the election in November, according to a person familiar with the matter. At the Detroit Auto Show, Toyota said it will invest $10 billion in the U.S. over the next five years — the same amount it spent over the past five years. And on Jan. 3, Ford Motor Co. said it had scrapped plans for a $1.6 billion expansion in Mexico after Trump called for levies on U.S. corporations that send jobs abroad. But the company later said Trump’s threats had no effect on the decision.

Foreign manufacturers have good reason to fear Trump’s wrath, as he has proposed new trade barriers to keep their products out of the U.S. In an interview published Jan. 15 by Germany’s Bild newspaper, he threatened a 35 per cent levy on BMWs from a new $1 billion factory in Mexico. BMW countered that the Mexico facility will ship cars worldwide, and that its biggest plant in the world is in Spartanburg, S.C., most of which are exported. The company sees “no reason” to change its plans, Peter Schwarzenbauer, head of BMW’s Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, told reporters at a conference in Munich on Jan. 16.