Trump’s tariffs help bring Stellantis jobs to Ohio

While Ohio officials lauded a carmaker’s announcement that it would expand production in the state and elsewhere in the country, the state’s economic development arm apparently had no role in the decision.

“Since day one, me and the team set out a clear priority that was to grow in the largest market that we operate, which is the U.S.,” Stellantis CEO Antonia Filosa, who stepped into the role in June, told CNBC. “We know what we need to do to grow this market.”

Stellantis, the parent company of several brands, including Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep, plans to add more than 5,000 jobs in the country. It aims to increase production by 50% through a $13 billion investment in its U.S. manufacturing operations.

“In a phone call with Stellantis Senior Vice President Shane Karr this afternoon, I received the welcome news that the automaker is expanding its footprint in northwest Ohio by adding a new midsize truck to its automotive line,” Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement this week.

“Stellantis is already a major player in Ohio’s automotive manufacturing industry, employing more than 4,300 people at its Toledo Assembly Complex, and this new $400 million investment will add another 900 new jobs,” the governor added. “This expansion will continue to reinforce Toledo’s legacy in the automotive sector, positioning Ohio at the forefront of the global automotive industry.”

A DeWine spokesman did not respond to a request for confirmation about whether JobsOhio played any role in the announcement. According to reports, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said President Donald Trump’s policies influenced the decision, which he said was “a direct consequence of current US tariffs.”

That didn’t stop JobsOhio from lauding the measure.

“A multinational, global leader and strong partner in automotive manufacturing, Stellantis could expand anywhere, but today the company has once again chosen to make its U.S. footprint larger in Ohio,” JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef said in a statement. “One of the largest and most reliable workforces in the automotive industry, proximity to customers and suppliers, and the top infrastructure in the United States allow Stellantis to gain a competitive advantage in Ohio.”

JobsOhio is facing new criticism amid an Ohio.News investigation that revealed the economic development agency spent $1.9 billion to create 14,097 jobs, roughly a quarter of the state’s total job growth. That spending was enough to pay Ohio’s 235,000 unemployed workers $8,000 each.