US auto manufacturers call for China and US to work out trade disputes

Two American auto manufacturers are encouraging the United States and China to work out their differences on trade, amid increased tensions between the two nations over tariffs. 

The statements from the two auto companies come after China retaliated against the Trump administration’s proposed list of tariffs on China with its own levies on American goods, including cars.

General Motors said in a Wednesday statement the company backs “a positive trade relationship” between the two nations and that China and the Untied States should participate “in constructive dialogue” on trade. 

{mosads}“We continue to believe both countries value a vibrant auto industry and understand the interdependence between the world’s two largest automotive markets,” the statement from GM said.

The Ford Motor Company struck a similar tone in their own statement.

“We encourage both governments to work together to resolve issues between these two important economies,” said Ford.

The administration said it plans to enact tariffs on about $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, causing China to respond with its own $50 billion tariff package aimed at U.S. goods including automobiles.

Despite the rising tension, Trump on Wednesday dismissed the notion that the tariffs amount to a “trade war with China.” 

“We are not in a trade war with China, that war was lost many years ago by the foolish, or incompetent, people who represented the U.S.,” the president wrote on Twitter. “Now we have a Trade Deficit of $500 Billion a year, with Intellectual Property Theft of another $300 Billion. We cannot let this continue!”