Tariffs Forced Nissan to Speed U.S. Production, Says Americas Chairman

Summary

Christian Meunier, chairman of Nissan Americas, says US auto tariffs were difficult but pushed Nissan to accelerate US localization and more than double domestic production in about 18 months. He argues Nissan's US sales recovery is sustainable, highlights the upcoming Rogue Hybrid and plans for more US production, and says North America is critical to Nissan's global profitability. Meunier also discusses defending Nissan's leading position in Mexico against Chinese brands and managing affordability and cost pressures.

• US auto tariffs have been challenging but prompted Nissan to accelerate US localization and production.
• Nissan says its US sales recovery is sustainable, supported by dealer-network sales and reduced fleet deals.
• Nissan plans to raise US-made sales from 60% to 80% and says North America drives over 50% of volume.
• The new Rogue Hybrid launches in November, with e-Power US localization planned by the end of next calendar year.
• Nissan remains Mexico's market leader with 17-18% share and aims to defend that position against Chinese brands.
• Nissan cites its global manufacturing footprint as a tariff-resilience advantage.
• Affordability remains a challenge, but Nissan says its products, including some EVs, remain competitively priced.