Hyundai Motor Group completed a high-tech plant in Ellabel, Georgia, on the 26th (local time), which will create more than 10,000 jobs and produce more than 500,000 new cars.
Hyundai Motor Group's large-scale investment in the U.S. has raised concerns about hollowing out domestic jobs and manufacturing bases, but it was an inevitable choice due to the threat of tariffs from Donald Trump in addition to hard-line unions and regulations.
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun said at the completion ceremony of Hyundai Motor Group's Metaplant America (HMGMA), "The metaplant construction plan started with a determination to strengthen the U.S. auto industry. At this moment, we are full of hope to create the future of mobility with the U.S. in the U.S." "In 2019, we announced to invest $20 billion in the United States, and two days ago, we visited the White House and announced another historical investment plan worth $21 billion with President Donald Trump," he said, adding, "We will continue to stay here, invest and grow together."
HMGMA, which was completed on the same day, installed a data analysis system using artificial intelligence (AI) and various robots to raise assembly quality to the highest level in the world. Hyundai Motor Group said the completion of HMGMA created 8,500 jobs in Georgia, and an additional 3,500 jobs will be created when battery factories are completed. HMGMA is equipped with facilities that can produce up to 300,000 units per year. The announcement of the new investment plan is expected to add 200,000 units in the future. At this time, Hyundai Motor Group's annual production in the U.S. is more than 1.2 million units. This is more than 65 percent of Hyundai Motor Group's 1.7 million U.S. sales in 2024.
Hyundai Motor Group decided to invest in HMGMA during President Trump's first term in office and completed the plant in time for his second term in office. "HMGMA is a symbol that connects South Korea and Georgia," South Korean Ambassador to the U.S., Cho Hyun-dong, said in a congratulatory speech. "U.S. manufacturing will revive under President Trump's term and South Korea's investment in the U.S. will continue."
Meanwhile, President Trump said on the same day that "a 25% tariff will be imposed on all cars not produced in the United States from the 3rd of next month." In a separate document, the White House explained that passenger cars and small trucks such as sedans, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), minivans, and cargo vans, as well as major auto parts such as engines, transmissions, powertrain parts and electrical parts, are all subject to tariffs.
[Elabelle Kim Dongeun / Washington correspondent Choi Seungjin]
