Buick's Dependence On Chinese Production Moves From Strength To Achilles Heel

The second quarter of 2018 returned pleasing sales figures for General Motors, but there were no champagne corks popping over Buick’s performance. While GM’s sales rose 4.6 percent compared to Q2 2017 (and 4.2 percent year-to-date), Buick sales headed in the opposite direction — down 12 percent in the quarter, and roughly six-tenths of one percent over the first half of the year.

Swirling menacingly in the background of all of this is a threat from President Trump to levy a 25 percent tariff on all automotive imports, a move that would leave Buick especially exposed. As numbers crunched by Automotive News show, the only thing sparing the brand from an emergency overhaul, should such a scenario come to pass, is a subcompact crossover — one which may or may not be exempt from the proposed tariffs.
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MDarringer - 7/30/2018 11:05:24 AM

-7 Boost

It's always amused me that the Chinese love their Oldsmobiles oops Buicks. I fail to see anything compelling about Buicks. Chevy does their crossovers as well as Buick does and does so for less money. Their sedans are horrid. Now imagine if they had build the Avista and Avenir i.e. something compelling.

TomM - 7/30/2018 7:10:42 PM

+4 Boost

Well - smart people would have looked into WHy the chinese like Buicks and found out that Buick was the choice of Chairman Mao - who is still Almost universally revered in China. Imagine being able to drive and own the same brand car as your "hero". Not hard to understand - plus - Buick did produce some very nice cars over the years - some of then quite compelling (Several Rivieras alone).

mini22 - 8/1/2018 11:38:07 AM

+1 Boost

Wait till China decides to put a 50% tariff on any American car sold on the mainland. GM will be a whole lot less happy.