Auto manufacturing jobs

The UAW and Detroit’s Big Three automakers are worried that dropping tariffs on Japanese imports would give Japanese rivals a significant leg up and could lead to the loss of thousands of U.S. auto jobs. Graphic on historic job numbers from the Financial Times.

United Auto Workers President Bob King will meet with the top U.S. trade official on Wednesday as talks continue over creating a Pacific free trade zone including Japan.

King will meet with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, the USTR office said Monday. Detroit’s Big Three automakers and the UAW want to ensure that Japan makes significant changes to open its market to U.S. vehicles and agree to limits in how central banks can impact the value of currency.

In July, more than 80,000 hourly and salaried U.S. autoworkers signed a petition urging Congress to oppose the deal without major changes on currency by Japan, the world’s third-largest economy and auto market.

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