As President Donald Trump signals the possibility of new tariffs on automobiles, Kia America, the U.S. subsidiary of Kia, has reaffirmed its commitment to manufacturing in the United States. In a Mar. 16 interview with Yahoo Finance, Kia America Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Steven Center stressed the company’s priority of domestic production. “We are doing what we believe is right for Kia, and that means building as many cars as possible here in the U.S.,” he said.
Of the 63,303 vehicles Kia sold in the U.S. last month, 24,942—roughly 39.4%—were manufactured domestically. The remainder were imported, with 42.2% coming from South Korea and 18.4% from Mexico.
Kia currently operates a manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, and plans to expand production at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Bryan County, Georgia. The facility, which began operations in October, has an annual production capacity of 300,000 units but is currently dedicated to Hyundai models.
According to Center, Kia’s plans to build electric vehicles in Georgia were already in motion before discussions of new tariffs arose. He also highlighted the company’s decades-long presence in the U.S. and its continued investment in domestic manufacturing and supply chains.
On the issue of potential tariffs, Center said Kia has been actively preparing, holding multiple meetings in recent months to adjust its business strategy. “We will continue operating in a way that best serves our customers and dealers,” he said. “We want to keep growing in this market.”
Trump has long pushed for tariffs on imported vehicles. Last month, he proposed a 25% tariff on automobiles. Earlier this month, his administration imposed the same tariff rate on vehicles from Mexico and Canada, though the policy was later suspended for one month.
