Hyundai Motor Union "Oppose New Tucson Production in the USA"

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] As the U.S. government pursues an active reshoring policy to pressure foreign companies that have entered the U.S. market, the Hyundai Motor Union has opposed the production of the new Tucson in the United States.

On the 26th, the Hyundai Motor Union stated through its newsletter, "The deployment of the completely redesigned new Tucson (NX4) to the U.S. plant cannot be unilaterally implemented by the company based on the collective bargaining agreement," adding, "We will definitely protect the volume and employment stability of the workers at Plant 5."

The union further said, "Trump, who is pursuing protectionist trade policies, is demanding the introduction of volume cars (SUVs) to the Korean government, but this is an absolutely unacceptable claim," adding, "The Tucson is a key export strategic model directly linked to the total employment guarantee of union members."

Hyundai Motor Company 2020 Tucson Model

Additionally, the union emphasized that at this point, having confirmed disruptions in the parts supply chain due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), transferring export volumes to overseas plants is out of the question.

Hyundai Motor plans to begin mass production of the completely redesigned new Tucson at its Ulsan Plant 5 starting in August. Hyundai Motor has drawn a line, stating that nothing has been decided yet regarding the transfer of new Tucson volumes.

The Tucson is a major model leading sales not only in the domestic market but also in the United States. Since its debut in the U.S. market in 2004, the Tucson recently surpassed cumulative sales of 1 million units in the U.S. market over 16 years. Furthermore, the Tucson was the best-selling sports utility vehicle (SUV) model among Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. last year.