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Photo = Yonhap news |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Hyundai Motor and Kia are considering significantly expanding hybrid production facilities at their new electric vehicle (EV) plant in Georgia, known as the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America.
At the same time, they are also planning to enhance production capacity at Hyundai’s Montgomery plant in Alabama and Kia’s West Point plant in Georgia.
With these expansions, Hyundai Motor Group aims to increase the combined annual production capacity of the Georgia Metaplant, Hyundai’s Alabama plant, and Kia’s Georgia plant to 1.18 million units, raising the share of U.S.-based production to 70%.
Hyundai Steel is also exploring the possibility of building a steel plant in the U.S. to manufacture automotive steel sheets. These would be supplied to Hyundai and Kia’s facilities in Georgia.
This would mark Hyundai Steel’s first overseas production base, a move intended to address the tariff barriers under the second Trump administration.
The increased production in the U.S. implies a de facto adjustment of production volumes at domestic plants. Analysts predict that this shift, driven by the U.S. manufacturing focus, could accelerate the "beggar-thy-neighbor" effect, negatively impacting neighboring countries.
AlphaBIZ Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
