Dhaka, June 22 — Hyundai motor company’s vehicle exports from its US plant dropped significantly last month, according to industry data released Sunday, as the South Korean automaker steps up production realignment strategies in response to intensifying tariff pressures.
Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA), the company’s US production unit, exported just 14 vehicles in June, a dramatic fall from 1,303 units in the same month last year and 2,386 in May, Yonhap reported.
This marked the first time HMMA’s monthly exports fell below 100 units since April 2020, during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. HMMA exported a total of 22,600 vehicles last year.
Industry insiders attributed the plunge to Hyundai’s production realignment strategy aimed at minimizing the effects of Washington’s tariff policies, which currently impose a 25 percent duty on all imported vehicles.
China’s foreign trade demonstrates resilience despite challenging global environment
Hyundai motor, which exported 637,000 vehicles to the United States last year, is reportedly considering redirecting US-produced vehicles to the domestic market rather than exporting them overseas.
To reduce tariff exposure, the company previously announced plans to expand production capacity in the United States by increasing output at its Alabama and Georgia plants to meet local demand. Concurrently, it will cut production of US-bound models at Kia Corp.’s plant in Mexico.
“In order to minimize the impact of US tariffs, we have implemented measures to shift Tucson production from Mexico to HMMA and moved HMMA’s Canadian-bound production to Mexico,” a Hyundai official said during an earnings call in April.
Reflecting that shift, Hyundai shipped around 2,100 units of the Tucson crossover from Mexico in February. That number fell to 522 in March and has remained at zero since April.
