Does anyone remember this? This was one of the most depressing powerpoint slides of my career: automakers announced +/or executed the closure of 58 plants between 2005 and 2012. The former parts divisions closed another 40 plants during that time. 
Automakers have announced North American investments totalling $119.5 billion since 2009 with THREE-QUARTERS of that investment in the United States...
...New assembly plants cost $1-1.6 billion dollars these days...
...but there are only a handful of NEW automaker plants in the U.S. Here's the map of new automaker manufacturing facilities in the U.S. that were announced since 2008: 10 factories--5 assembly, 2 stamping, 2 battery assembly & 1 transmission.
There have been NINE new assembly plant investments announced for Mexico since 2009. The reason is not just cheap labor: they go to take advantage of Mexico's free trade reach. Vehicle exports from Mexico can reach 51% of the global market for new cars and trucks without tariff.
The U.S. FTA reach is just 28%, and that includes 19% for our home market, 4% to NAFTA partners, and 5% to other countries. Here's the list of U.S. FTAs: trade.gov/fta/
One in three vehicles produced in Mexico will be exported to a non-NAFTA market. Canada exports ~11% of vehicle production to non-NAFTA markets. The U.S. exports ~13% outside of NAFTA (with the largest share exported to Europe and China).
