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Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Will Hyundai alliance offer fresh lifeline to GM Korea?
GM Korea is set to resume wage and collective bargaining talks next week amid rising speculation that it could play a key role in Hyundai Motor Group and GM's recent joint vehicle agreement. According to media reports on Wednesday, GM Korea's labor union and management will meet on Aug. 15, when its Bupyeong plant in Incheon will restart operations following the summer break. The Korean unit's labor and management have worked to bridge the gap in their negotiations, but with little progress so far. A key issue is GM Korea's plan to sell company assets, including nine in-house service centers and underused facilities and land at its Bupyeong plant. The union sees this move as signaling GM's gradual withdrawal from Korea. The automaker has faced constant rumors of an exit ever since US tariffs on South Korean cars were imposed under President Donald Trump, initially at 25 percent and now reduced to 15 percent. The two parties are also at odds over wage negotiations. Korea GM has offered a 60,300 won ($44) base pay rise, including seniority raises, and a 16 million won bonus. However, the union is seeking a 141,300 won increase, excluding seniority raises, and a bonus worth 15 percent of net profit, over 40 million won more than management's offer. Sources said the union is expected to demand that management provide detailed explanations regarding the new GM-Hyundai partnership, which involves jointly developing five new vehicles targeting the entire American market by 2028. Industry insiders suggest that GM Korea could gain momentum if it secures a portion of the production volume of either pickups, a compact car and a small SUV with internal combustion and hybrid options. Currently, the Korean unit produces low-budget models such as the Chevrolet Trailblazer sport utility vehicle, the Buick Encore GX SUV and the Buick Envista crossover and exports to the US. 'GM Korea could potentially be considered a production hub for hybrid vehicles,' said Kim Pil-su, automotive engineering professor at Daelim University. 'Leveraging Hyundai Motor's advanced hybrid technology would benefit GM — and particularly GM Korea — by helping redirect production volumes originally bound for the US to Latin American markets.' 'As a strategic hub for US exports, GM Korea could capitalize on its well-established supply chain in the country,' Kim said. 'However, GM headquarters would weigh the benefits of using its Korean base against those of its facilities in Mexico and Canada.' GM continues to operate manufacturing plants in both Canada and Mexico as key pillars of its North American production network. In Mexico, four plants build a range of vehicles, including gasoline and electric SUVs and pickup trucks, while in Canada, two assembly facilities produce pickups and are transitioning to EV production. Founded in 1972, GM Korea runs three manufacturing plants in Bupyeong and Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. In 2024, 84.8 percent of its production was exported to the US.
Korea Herald
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Why GM sticks with Korea production despite looming 25% tariff
Automaker bets on trade talks, cost efficiency over relocation to US General Motors, one of the top three automakers in the US, remains committed to leveraging South Korea as a vital production hub for its budget cars, despite the looming 25 percent tariff imposed by President Donald Trump. According to a GM official cited by Bloomberg on Wednesday, the automaker reaffirmed its commitment to Korean operations, the production base for its cheaper models, including the Chevrolet Trailblazer sport utility vehicle, the Buick Encore GX SUV and the Buick Envista crossover. This comes after GM Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson told reporters last week that the company plans to reduce costs to offset 30 percent of the tariff impact, rather than raising vehicle prices or relocating overseas operations to the US. In its annual earnings guidance released on May 1, GM revised its projected earnings before interest and taxes from a range of $13.7 billion–$15.7 billion to $10 billion–$12.5 billion, indicating approximately $4 billion–$5 billion in anticipated tariff-related burdens on imported automobiles and parts. Despite the unfavorable optics of maintaining Korean production under the new tariffs, industry insiders here say GM is betting that upcoming Seoul–Washington trade negotiations will be pivotal for its global manufacturing strategy. 'I've heard that GM's Detroit headquarters is closely monitoring the bilateral trade discussions while actively lobbying the Trump administration,' said an industry source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity. 'The key issue will be whether the Korean government can reduce the auto tariff rate to a level that allows GM to remain operational in Korea.' Next week, US trade representative Jamieson Greer is scheduled to visit Korea to attend the APEC Trade Ministers' Meeting, where he will meet with Korean officials to review the "reciprocal tariffs" set to take effect in July. This will mark the first high-level US trade visit since the beginning of Trump's second term. Lee Ho-geun, a car engineering professor at Daeduk University, echoed this view, noting, 'GM has long relied on its Korean unit's cost-effective production to build cars priced around $20,000. It's extremely difficult to manufacture these economical models in the US, which has a more expensive supply chain, partly due to constant wage hike demands from the United Auto Workers.' However, Lee warned that if trade talks fail and the 25 percent tariffs on cars and parts remain in place until 2027 — when GM's agreement with the Korean government to maintain plant operations expires — the automaker may seriously consider withdrawing from Korea. 'With the tariffs, the price of budget models like the Trailblazer could increase by more than $5,000, negating any cost advantage from Korean production. If the tariff burden outweighs the benefits, GM could relocate production to North America,' he said. Meanwhile, Yoon Myong-ok, chief marketing officer at GM Korea, said during a media conference on April 16 that the Bupyeong plant in Incheon received an additional order of 21,000 units from US headquarters. The facility's projected production volume is expected to rise from 208,000 to approximately 230,000 units. GM operates three manufacturing plants in Bupyeong and Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. In 2024, 84.8 percent of its production was exported to the US.
