How a Michigan city is bracing for the impact of Trumps auto tariffs – National [Video]

Just north of downtown Flint, Mich., a two-story red brick building known as Factory One sits as just one reminder of the rich history here of the American automobile industry.

The factory, the birthplace of General Motors, still stands as a beacon of innovation in the Michigan city where the number of autoworkers has been declining for decades.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s automobile tariffs are meant to bring back those jobs, but some experts say the levies hitting Canada and Mexico make the whole North American industry less competitive as vehicles become too expensive to buy.

“Someone fell asleep at the wheel,” Maurice Pope said last Sunday at the Flint Farmer’s Market.

Michiganders are concerned their state could become Ground Zero in Trump’s global trade war. Nearly 20 per cent of the state’s economy is tied to the automobile sector — and it’s facing tariff assaults on all fronts.

On top of the auto tariffs on …