title: FORD CEO Tells Trump They’ll Move Forward With Plans To Open $2.5 Billion Plant In Mexico…And Here’s Why [VIDEO]
text: Perhaps the focus should be on the EPA and other government agencies who create an extremely hostile environment for manufacturing goods in America Trump has repeatedly accused the company of outsourcing jobs to other countries and taking jobs away from American workers. CEO Mark Fields responded to Trump s criticism in a recent interview with CNN s Poppy Harlow. He said Ford is committed to adding jobs in the U.S.Last July, Trump blasted Ford for having manufacturing operations in Mexico.  What does that do? We don t get anything. Does Mexico come here and build factories here? We lose a fortune with every deal  that adds jobs overseas, Trump claimed.Fields defended Ford s track record on supporting American jobs.  We ve created 25,000 jobs [in the U.S.] since 2011, and going forward over the next four years we ve agreed to either retain or add another 8,500 jobs,  Fields said.  The amount of money that we invest in [research and development] here is more than companies like Apple. Ford invested nearly $7 billion in R&D in the U.S. in 2014 alone, Field said.The Republican presidential frontrunner s criticism of Ford largely centered around Ford s plans to invest $2.5 billion in its Mexican operations.Then in October, Trump took credit for Ford supposedly canceling those plans and opening a new factory in Ohio instead.In fact, Ford said it planned to go forward with its $2.5 billion expansion in Mexico. And its decision to move production of a line of trucks from Mexico to Ohio was made four years ago during union negotiations. Via: CNN Money