As President Trump was pushing American companies to bring manufacturing back inside the country last summer, General Motors said it was committed to immediate investments to make sure “the future of transportation will be driven by American innovation and manufacturing expertise.”
Recent figures show, however, that the auto giant imported more than a million finished vehicles into the United States in 2025, a massive number that puts it second only to Toyota.
According to the data from S&P Global Mobility, GM imported 1,170,480 vehicles into the United States for sale in 2025, which is just about three times as many as its major U.S. competitor Ford, which brought in 378,123 vehicles. The figures made headlines in Michigan, where both companies are based, and it was emphasized that foreign car companies like BMW are now importing less vehicles into the country than American companies.
In his first months in office, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imported cars. Companies like GM made promises of massive shifts in manufacturing to show the president that it was an ally in the effort to onshore manufacturing. CEO Mary Barra even praised the tariff strategy.
GM said that it stands out as the most American company in the industry, stating that “there’s only one brand in America that’s synonymous with baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie.
The numbers stand in contrast to recent statements from GM leadership emphasizing domestic production. CEO Mary Barra has said the company believes “the future of transportation will be driven by American innovation and manufacturing expertise.”
A closer look at GM’s supply chain underscores the gap between branding and sourcing. The company’s “Patriotic Car Collection,” released ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, leans heavily on red, white, and blue imagery. Yet one featured model, the “Stars & Steel” Chevrolet, sources more than half of its components from outside the United States, primarily Mexico and Canada. Electric vehicle models often contain even higher percentages of foreign-sourced parts.
At the same time, GM has continued to invest abroad. It recently announced plans to invest $1 billion in Mexico, $300 million in South Korea, and $63 million in Canada.
Compared to competitors, GM’s import volume stands out. Ford, which has also branded itself as made in America, imports significantly fewer vehicles, though it still brings in close to 400,000 annually. BMW, a European luxury brand, imported roughly a million fewer vehicles than GM.
The trend is not new. In 2024, GM imported 1.23 million vehicles, the highest total among automakers that year, and more than 40% of its workforce was based outside of the United States.
Beyond manufacturing and sourcing, GM’s strategic positioning has shown a pattern of flexibility that often mirrors shifts in the political landscape. The company accepted $9 billion from the Obama administration during the 2008 financial crisis and signed onto Obama’s fuel-efficiency standards. During the first Trump administration, GM supported efforts to roll back California’s stricter emissions rules, before later adjusting its position when Joe Biden took office. This week, GM announced it would suspend development of its next-generation electric truck, signaling a pivot back to gas-powered vehicles.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its foreign imports.
