Opinion: USMCA backs Georgia’s auto industry as six-year review nears

June 7, 2026

Opinion

By maintaining terms of North American trade deal, policymakers can help the U.S. keep commerce strong.

A nearly finished Kia Sportage hybrid nears the end of the assembly process at the Hyundai Metaplant near Savannah. The automotive industry supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes more than a billion dollars to the state’s economy, guest columnist Jennifer Safavian writes. (Adam Van Brimmer/AJC)

A nearly finished Kia Sportage hybrid nears the end of the assembly process at the Hyundai Metaplant near Savannah. The automotive industry supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes more than a billion dollars to the state’s economy, guest columnist Jennifer Safavian writes. (Adam Van Brimmer/AJC)

By Jennifer Safavian – For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

28 minutes ago

Georgia has become a manufacturing powerhouse for international automakers in the United States. The industry supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes more than a billion dollars to the state’s economy.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement plays a key role in supporting U.S. automotive manufacturing, particularly in states like Georgia where international automakers continue to invest and expand operations.

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Why stable relationships matter to manufacturers

Jennifer Safavian is president and CEO of Autos Drive America. (Courtesy)

Jennifer Safavian is president and CEO of Autos Drive America. (Courtesy)

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Here’s how much companies pay in state, local taxes

Gov. Brian Kemp gives the keynote address during the Governor’s Workforce Summit held at the Georgia World Congress Center on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Gov. Brian Kemp gives the keynote address during the Governor’s Workforce Summit held at the Georgia World Congress Center on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

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But tariffs have complicated trade talks

Then-President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico (from left), U.S. President Donald Trump and then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada sign the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. (Tom Brenner/NYT)

Then-President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico (from left), U.S. President Donald Trump and then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada sign the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. (Tom Brenner/NYT)

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