Politics
Trump Praises Bikers For Harley-Davidson Boycott, Talks ‘Level’ Trade Playing Field
Official portrait of President Donald J. Trump, Friday, October 6, 2017. (Official White House photo by Shealah Craighead)
President Donald Trump praised some Harley-Davidson owners’ plans to boycott the motorcycle company as “great” Sunday morning after the company said it may shift some of its production outside the U.S.
“Many [Harley-Davidson] owners plan to boycott the company if manufacturing moves overseas,” Trump wrote on Twitter Sunday. “Great! Most other companies are coming in our direction, including Harley competitors. A really bad move! U.S. will soon have a level playing field, or better.”
Many @harleydavidson owners plan to boycott the company if manufacturing moves overseas. Great! Most other companies are coming in our direction, including Harley competitors. A really bad move! U.S. will soon have a level playing field, or better.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2018
Trump had met with nearly 200 members of New Jersey’s “Bikers For Trump” chapter at his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, Saturday afternoon.
The president’s message about Harley-Davidson comes a day after The New York Times published a story on some Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiasts and their plans to boycott the company because they support Trump’s trade policies.
The motorcycle manufacturer said on June 24 it will move some of its production outside of the U.S. in a move driven by new European Union tariffs.
Trump has since met with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who came to the U.S. to talk trade on June 26.
At the time, the EU had heightened tariffs on U.S.-manufactured items from 6 to 31 percent, meaning an increase “of approximately $2,200 per average motorcycle exported from the U.S. to the EU,” according to Harley-Davidson’s filing.
Harley-Davidson sold approximately 40,000 new motorcycles in Europe during 2017, making the region its “most important market” after the U.S., reported The New York Times.
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