"I don't want to scare or discourage investors from coming to America. We welcome investors and their employees, and are proud to say we will learn from them and maybe even do better in their field sometime in the not-too-distant future," former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on 14/9.
Trump expressed his desire for foreign tech companies to bring skilled workers to the US to manufacture "extremely complex products", while also guiding and training local workers.
"If we don't, all of those big investments will never materialize. We must learn to produce chips, semiconductors, computers, ships, trains and so many other products from other countries. In many cases, relearn, because we used to be very good at it but not anymore," Trump emphasized.
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Former President Trump speaks to the press at Morristown Airport in New Jersey on 14/9. Photo: AFP |
Former President Trump speaks to the press at Morristown Airport in New Jersey on 14/9. Photo: AFP
Around 475 people, including over 300 South Korean workers, were arrested in a raid targeting illegal immigration at Hyundai and LG battery plants in Georgia on 4/9. This was the largest single-site raid conducted by the Department of Homeland Security since Trump launched his nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials alleged that the South Korean workers had overstayed their visas or arrived with visas that didn't permit manual labor. The workers were repatriated under a voluntary departure program, allowing them to return to the US rather than being deported. However, images of them in chains and handcuffs during the raid sparked widespread concern in South Korea.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on 11/9 described the raid as "disconcerting" and said it could significantly impact future investment decisions, particularly when assessing the feasibility of operating directly in the US. South Korean unions called for an apology from Trump.
Many South Korean companies have invested billions of USD in building factories in the US to access the market and avoid the threat of tariffs. The US government is also seeking to expand cooperation with South Korea to rebuild the shipbuilding, semiconductor, and other industries.
Huyen Le (AFP, Yonhap)
