Trump Creating Jobs In US? Samsung To Shift Home Appliances Facility To USA

Samsung is in preliminary discussions to expand its production facilities in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Samsung plans to open up a new facility for the production of home appliances, which would shift manufacturing of oven ranges from Mexico to the U.S., individuals familiar with the matter told WSJ. The South Korean company is planning a large investment in the U.S. -- $300 million, which would create about 500 jobs.

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Samsung is currently discussing its plans with at least five states, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina, with the company being particularly interested in Blythewood, South Carolina.

Samsung confirmed its plans in a statement to WSJ saying, “This is a complex process that, like all strategic business decisions, will not be made final until it is determined through proper due diligence and planning that it is the best option for Samsung.”

A Samsung representative said the electronics company began reviewing options in the U.S. early last fall.

Samsung and Trump

President Donald Trump’s win in November’s election last year may have influenced Samsung’s interest in a U.S. facility, the report said. Trump had previously threatened to implement an import tax on corporations for manufacturing abroad for U.S. customers.

Reuters reported in February Samsung was looking into opening up a plant in the U.S. for its home appliances business. The company declined to comment about its plans, but said it has made significant investments in the U.S., including the $17 billion spent for its Texas chip plant.

After the Reuters report about Samsung’s plans, Trump welcomed the idea with open arms and praised the company in a tweet saying “Thank you, @samsung! We would love to have you!”

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Samsung seems to be on Trump’s good side. Samsung’s de facto chief, Jay Y. Lee was the only executive from a foreign company invited to the tech summit at Trump Tower in December, according to WSJ. Lee, however, did not attend the meeting. Last month, he was indicted on corruption charges in South Korea in connection to the political scandal that led to the ejection of the country’s president, Park Geun-hye.