TEHRAN, August 13 -US President Donald Trump has backed boycotting American motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson over its plans to move production overseas, the latest salvo in a dispute between the company and Trump over tariffs.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) -On Sunday, Trump tweeted that "many" Harley-Davidson owners will boycott the company if it shifts production of the iconic American motorcycles to other countries.
“Many @harleydavidson owners plan to boycott the company if manufacturing moves overseas. Great! Most other companies are coming in our direction, including Harley competitors. A really bad move! US will soon have a level playing field, or better,” Trump said in a Twitter post.
On Sunday, Trump tweeted that "many" Harley-Davidson owners will boycott the company if it shifts production of the iconic American motorcycles to other countries.
“Many @harleydavidson owners plan to boycott the company if manufacturing moves overseas. Great! Most other companies are coming in our direction, including Harley competitors. A really bad move! US will soon have a level playing field, or better,” Trump said in a Twitter post.
he motorcycle manufacturer, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, announced a plan earlier this year to move production of motorcycles for the European Union from the United States to its overseas facilities to avoid the tariffs imposed by the trading bloc in retaliation for Trump’s duties on steel and aluminum imports.
In response, Trump has criticized Harley Davidson, calling for higher, targeted taxes and threatening to lure foreign producers to the United States to increase competition.
Trump has treated the issue as a loyalty test. "I've done so much for you, and then this," Trump tweeted earlier this week. "Other companies are coming back where they belong! We won't forget, and neither will your customers or your now very HAPPY competitors!"
Last year, Harley Davidson announced it would build a plant in Thailand after Trump pulled out of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, which would have abolished tariffs on their motorcycles across 40 percent of the world's economy.
In addition to Thailand, the company also has assembly plants in Australia, Brazil and India.
In January, Harley Davidson announced it would close one of its assembly plants located in Kansas City, Missouri, and consolidate jobs in York, Pennsylvania.
"A Harley-Davidson should never be built in another country-never!" Trump said on Twitter in June.
Ironically, less than a month after his inauguration, Trump met with Harley Davidson executives at the White House to thank the company for producing in the US and push his "America First" theme in trade deals.
"A lot of countries are taking advantage of us," Trump said during a press briefing with the executives in February of 2017. "Thank you Harley Davidson for building things in America."
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