President Donald Trump says the government will help out the U.S. auto industry due to the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus.
While speaking on a recent call with state governors, Trump said the administration will take care of car manufacturers.
“We’re watching the auto industry very much,” he said. “We’re going to be helping them out at least a little bit and they’ve sort of requested some help, and it wasn’t their fault what happened. So we’ll be taking care of the auto industry.”
Trump failed to specify what sort of aid the government could provide to the auto industry. His response comes shortly after the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) urged both Republican and Democratic congressional leaders to provide suppliers with relief in order to address a liquidity crisis, Bloomberg reports.
MEMA president Bill Long expressed his concerns in a letter addressed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and other top lawmakers.
“Such a decrease will impact the entire country and any comprehensive economic relief package must provide protection for our essential manufacturing operations,” he wrote.
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Long asked lawmakers to provide temporary relief from certain tariffs through the remainder of 2020 and also urged lawmakers to permit manufacturers to access emergency financial grants for distressed companies.
Earlier this week, a number of automaker and dealer trade groups also urged Trump to issue national guidance deeming auto repair facilities as essential businesses that can remain open during the crisis. Automakers have stopped short of asking for specific financial relief.
