Some details have emerged following the meeting between John Elkann, Chairman of Stellantis, and the new President of the United States, Donald Trump. Fearing obvious issues related to the possible introduction of tariffs for production in Mexico and Canada, Elkann tried to consider an alternative with the White House as its main interlocutor.
The Group, born from the merger between FCA and PSA, saw in 2024 a year where global sales were strongly affected by negative data specifically in the United States, one of the most profitable markets for automobile manufacturers. In this way, given the announced investments, Stellantis becomes the first among major global automotive groups to take initiative in the United States following the recent change in administration.
Stellantis has announced investments in the United States with the intention of increasing the Group’s production values
It is already known that Stellantis Chairman John Elkann has met with the new U.S. President Donald Trump at least a couple of times in recent days. These meetings now clarify the need to consider investments necessary to expand production values in the USA. Stellantis’ Chief Operating Officer for North America, Antonio Filosa, announced the upcoming U.S. investments and the fact that Elkann met with Trump even before the presidential inauguration.
In a letter sent to Group employees, Filosa acknowledged that Stellantis will allocate significant resources to American plants that are part of “our commitment to grow automobile production in the United States,” the letter reads. Similarly, John Elkann wanted to share “our enthusiasm for Trump’s strong commitment to the U.S. auto industry and employment levels in the USA and the economy in general,” according to Antonio Filosa‘s letter. There is therefore a desire to take preventive action to find a solution useful in mitigating the effects of any upcoming tariffs introduced by Trump, by increasing the Group’s manufacturing footprint in the United States.
But the investments are not only related to unlocking billions that had remained blocked under the Biden administration. There is a need to establish a new phase of relations between local unions, Stellantis, and the new Trump administration. There is indeed a desire to operate differently, also recovering more than 1,500 new jobs with the start of work on a new generation of pickup trucks to be produced at the Stellantis plant in Belvidere, Illinois.
Other confirmed investments are those related to the Detroit facility, where the new generation of Dodge Durango will be born (and probably also a new large SUV under the Alfa Romeo brand), but also in Toledo, Ohio, where Stellantis will produce the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator, and Kokomo in Indiana. Meanwhile, the White House, through a post on X, celebrates “American manufacturing renaissance” with Stellantis “bringing 1,500 new jobs back to the USA.”