Whitmer talks tariffs, China and Trump at Detroit Auto Show visit

Whitmer visits Detroit Auto Show, talks working with new Trump administration

Governor Gretchen Whitmer spoke about the incoming Trump administration and the impact on the automotive industry while at the Detroit Auto Show.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Governor Gretchen Whitmer spoke about the immediate future of the automobile industry while checking out the next generation of wheels at the Detroit Auto Show.

"You know my first two years as governor Donald Trump was President, my last two years as governor, Donald Trump’s president," she said.

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FOX 2 asked about the prospects of working with the incoming federal administration when President-elect Donald Trump take office on Monday.

"I’m confident that I’m going to be able to find some common ground with the next administration," she said. "I’m not looking for fights, I won’t back down from a fight either. But I’m hopeful we can collaborate first, that’s my goal."

The governor also weighed in on Trump’s pledge to add 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico along with an additional 10 percent on imports from China - unless those countries clamp down on the flow of illegal drugs.

"We need to beat China. We can beat China but we need a level playing field," she said.

Whitmer says China is subsidizing all of their auto sales allowing them to sell at a loss and setting up the auto industry for harm.

But she says dealing with our Canadian allies must be done differently.

"I think tariffs could make sense," Whitmer said. "However we can’t treat Canada like we treat China. So many of the parts we make go back and forth across the border. All that will do is make it harder for people to afford a vehicle."

Then there's the struggles at Stellantis including drops in sales and market share, higher prices and issues with quality amid the sudden resignation of CEO Carlos Tavares.

"Change of course is inevitable. We’ll navigate that to the best of our ability but with every challenge comes an opportunity," she said.

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And finally she weighed in on working with a change in power in Lansing with Republicans taking over the State House from Democrats.

"We’re going to be able to find some common ground," she said. "I’m grateful to see that the new Speaker of the House came in talking about roads and says he wants to focus on the real long-term solutions while approaching a funding cliff as I talked about in my speech earlier. We need to work together to solve this."