General Motors will end production in China of the Buick Envision, a midsize SUV it has imported into the United States for nearly a decade, and will instead manufacture the next generation of the vehicle at its assembly plant in the Kansas City area starting in 2028, Reuters reported.
The move is the latest step by the Detroit automaker to expand work at U.S. factories as tariffs shape sourcing and manufacturing decisions. GM has shipped the Envision to the U.S. since 2017, and it has been the company’s only Chinese import for the U.S. market. The vehicle has faced a 25% tariff since 2018, and GM did not secure an exemption during the first Trump administration.
The Envision also became a political flashpoint for critics of Chinese-made goods, including leaders of the United Auto Workers union and policymakers in key swing states such as Michigan and Ohio. Tariffs on vehicles imported from China increased last year amid heightened trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.
GM’s production plans for the Kansas City area plant are also evolving. The company previously said it would move Equinox SUV manufacturing from Mexico to the same facility, with production expected to begin in 2027. GM recently began a limited run of the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt at the plant, and the company has said that when Bolt production ends, it will convert the facility to produce only combustion-engine vehicles.
Beyond Kansas City, GM is also shifting additional SUV manufacturing back to the U.S. The company plans to move Chevy Blazer production from Mexico to Spring Hill, Tennessee, in 2027.
KEY QUOTE:
“This decision further strengthens GM’s domestic manufacturing footprint and supports U.S. jobs.”
General Motors statement to Reuters
