President Trump’s administration wants to carefully look over Fiat Chrysler’s planned merger deal with the PSA Group, according to White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow.
“We will obviously look at it very, very carefully,” said Kudlow in a Bloomberg interview. He then added that “the president has not commented on the deal,” while also stating that the U.S. is “not afraid of doing business with international companies, Lord knows.”
When asked about Donfeng’s 12.2% equity stake and 19.5% voting stake in PSA, Kudlow stated that “with respect to the Chinese story, we obviously are alert and on guard.”
“We will welcome a good deal. We hope it will get more production in the United States, more factories and workers and employment in the U.S. And with respect to the Chinese angle, we will take a careful look at it.”
Related: PSA Group Pulls Out Of Chinese Joint Venture With Changan
There has been speculation within the industry that Dongfeng might actually sell its holdings in PSA, which in turn could help the latter’s transition get through U.S. regulators, as reported by Autonews Europe.
PSA of course is planning on re-entering the U.S. market (and Canada), and has already identified 15 states that are likely to be receptive towards the French brand. Among those states were Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
As for a potential model lineup, while crossovers like of the 3008 and 5008 make the most sense, the 508 fastback could also make the trip.
Opening image credits The White House
