Alexandria, VA (February 18, 2018) – American International Automobile Dealers Association President and CEO Cody Lusk today issued the following statement in response to the Department of Commerce's 232 investigation into whether imported autos and auto parts represent a national security threat.
“Late last night, after nine months of waiting, the Department of Commerce finally submitted to the White House its findings on whether imported autos and auto parts constitute a national security threat to the United States. Unfortunately, the report has not been made public, highlighting, once again, the bogus nature of this investigation into America’s 9,600 international nameplate dealership franchises, their 578,000 American employees, and millions of customers.
“Now, dealerships must continue to operate under a cloud of uncertainty, not knowing if at any moment their products will be slapped with 25 percent tariffs, raising vehicle and repair costs by thousands of dollars and slashing sales. Dealers, their employees, and the communities they serve are being treated like pawns by their government. AIADA urges both President Trump and the Department of Commerce to come forward and unequivocally confirm what we already know: imported autos and auto parts are NOT a national security threat.”
In July, Lusk testified in support of the international auto retail industry during the U.S. Commerce Department’s 232 National Security Investigation Hearing. His comments focused on the 578,000 jobs provided by America’s 9,600 international nameplate auto dealers in their communities, the vehicles they sell to consumers, the billions in state and local taxes they generate, and how they and their customers would be negatively impacted by new vehicle tariffs.
For more on the impact America’s international nameplate dealers have on our economy visit AIADA.org/our-impact.
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About AIADA
Established in 1970, AIADA is and continues to be the only association whose sole purpose is to represent America’s international nameplate automobile franchises that sell and service the following brands in the United States: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. These retailers have a positive economic impact both nationally and in the local communities they serve, providing over 577,000 American jobs. Visit AIADA online at www.aiada.org.
