Indiana wants me - American Thinker https://t.co/WLEqwAGhCr
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) March 5, 2025
click to read:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/03/indiana_wants_me.html
Did you hear that Indiana has a new employer? It is coming and bringing some economic development. Let’s look at the story:
Honda opens new tab has decided to produce its next-generation Civic hybrid in the U.S. state of Indiana, instead of Mexico, to avoid potential tariffs on one of its top-selling car models, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The change underscores how manufacturers are scrambling to adapt to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada. While several automakers have expressed concerns about the levies, Honda’s move is the first concrete measure by a major Japanese car company.
Japan’s second-largest automaker had initially planned to manufacture the next-generation Civic in Guanajuato, Mexico, according to the three people. Production was slated to start from November 2027, according to one of the people.
Mexico was chosen because rising costs were making it tough to produce the car in Indiana and Canada, one of them said.
It now plans to build the new Civic model in Indiana from May 2028 with an expected annual production of around 210,000, one of the people said. Honda would look to import from nations not hit by tariffs if production in Indiana falls short of demand, one of them said.
This is very significant and I think it goes beyond tariffs. I’ve heard from foreign businessmen that Mexico is no longer the cheap labor option that it used to be. Have you tried renting an apartment in Mexico City or Monterrey?
And I wouldn’t be surprised if the overall security situation was a factor here too. In other words, many of these executives move to Mexico with their families and some of their wives may not be thrilled with all the violence around them. We just learned that Guanajuato is called “Mexico’s most violent state, according to official homicide statistics.” My guess is that Indiana does not have that problem.
So maybe it’s all a coincidence and not related to the tariffs or the violence. Time will tell. In the meantime, don’t be surprised if you favorite oldies stations plays a song called “Indiana Wants Me.” It was not about cars but rather love and someone running away from the law.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
