Thank you, Nazak [Nikakhtar], our Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis, for that kind introduction. We are fortunate to have people of such high caliber like you working at the Commerce Department. Welcome everyone to this discussion about the American automobile industry. It is obvious by the attendance here today how important this industry is to the U.S. and the global economy. At the...

The U.S. Department of Commerce will host a public hearing on its Section 232 investigation of imports of automobiles and automotive parts on Thursday, July 19 in the U.S. Department of Commerce Auditorium. The hearing, which begins at 8:30 a.m., will feature testimony from approximately 45 individuals, representing domestic and international companies, industry groups, labor, and foreign...

As the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations unfold, there is a lot of loose talk being exchanged about automobile parts going back and forth among the United States, Canada and Mexico. NAFTA supporters assert that the U.S. content in cars assembled in Canada and Mexico is particularly high and that therefore our $70 billion-plus trade deficits with our NAFTA partners are not worrisome...

The expected introduction of autonomous, or “self-driving,” vehicles (AVs) promises to have a potentially profound impact on labor demand. This paper explores this potential effect by identifying the occupations most likely to be directly affected by the business adoption of autonomous vehicles. In 2015, 15.5 million U.S. workers were employed in occupations that could be affected (to varying...

Contradictory news articles about the U.S. auto industry have appeared in recent days. On the positive side:"Auto Sales Showed Powerful Gains Across the Board in June" (NYT 7/2/2013) and "A Revitalized Car Industry Cranks Up U.S. Exports" (WSJ 7/1/2013). On the negative side, however, we have: "With Mexican auto manufacturing boom, new worries" (WP 7/1/2013). This is a brief attempt to reconcile...