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U.S. denies GM tariff relief request for China-made Buick SUV

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has denied a General Motors Co request for an exemption to a 25 percent U.S. tariff on its Chinese-made Buick Envision sport utility vehicle. The denial of the nearly year-old petition came in a May 29 letter from the U.S. Trade Representative's office saying the request concerns "a product strategically important or related to 'Made in China 2025' or other Chinese industrial programs." The midsize SUV, priced starting at about $35,000, has become a target for critics of Chinese-made goods, including leaders of the United Auto Workers union and members in key political swing states such as Michigan and Ohio. GM said on Tuesday it was aware of the denial and has been paying the tariff since July. GM has not raised the sticker price to account for the tariff. Buick Envision sales fell in the United States by nearly 27% to 30,000 last year and fell another 21% in the first three months of 2019. Only a small number of vehicles are built in China and sold in the United States. Last month, the U.S. Trade Representative's Office also denied a request by Chinese-owned Volvo Cars for tariff exemptions for mid-size SUVs assembled in China after the automaker sought an exemption for the XC60, its top selling U.S. vehicle. GM, the largest U.S. automaker, argued in its request that Envision sales in China and the United States would generate funds "to invest in our U.S. manufacturing facilities and to develop the next generation of automotive technology in the United States." GM said last year the "vast majority" of Envisions, about 200,000 a year, are sold in China. Because of the lower U.S. sales volume, "assembly in our home market is not an option" for the Envision, which competes with such mid-size crossover vehicles as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Cadillac XT5. Ahead of the July 2018 start for higher import tariffs, GM shipped in a six-month supply of Envisions at the much lower 2.5 percent tariff rate, Reuters reported in August 2018.

GM to make most cars LTE hotspots for 2015

General Motors isn't the first automaker to deliver in-car Internet access, but a proposed plan announced today could make the technology more widespread than any of its competitors have offered. By the 2015 model year, most Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC products in the US and Canada will offer 4G LTE mobile broadband access. Initially, GM will just be pairing with AT&T to deliver this service, but additional carriers will be revealed in the future.
Current in-car Wi-Fi hot spots are limited to 3G, but GM says that 4G LTE is 10 times faster than 3G service and will allow for full Internet access, including streaming video for entertainment as well as services like real-time traffic updates and navigation driving directions. There is also no need for a paired smartphone with this new system, which should make it easier to use, and GM and AT&T will also be working together to develop new apps for customers.
Buyers can expect to start seeing 4G LTE in their cars starting next year, and GM is already planning to expand the service to other global markets as well. All of the information from GM's announcement is posted in a press release below.

Buick unveils 2020 Encore and Encore GX in Shanghai

As expected, Buick pulled the covers off its refreshed Encore and brand-new Encore GX at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show. It's not surprising that Buick would unveil these crossovers in China considering that's the automaker's largest market, but we expect at least one of these crossovers to come to the States to replace our current Encore, which has been Buick's best-selling model for the last three years. Buick hasn't yet release a whole lot of information about its new Encore twins besides coyly describing the GX as a longer-wheelbase version of the Encore. In reality, we think there's quite a bit of difference between these two Encores. The regular Encore is similarly sized to the current version, which is heavily based on the Opel Mokka, and it's probably based on an updated version of GM's Gamma II platform called GEM, which stands for Global Emerging Markets. 2020 Buick Encore for China View 2 Photos The larger Encore GX is likely sitting atop GM's newer VSS-F platform. We don't know exactly how much bigger the GX is than the regular Encore, but we wouldn't be surprised if it's this larger version that will be sold Stateside. An unknown range of four-cylinder Ecotec engines will be offered in China, paired to either a nine-speed automatic or optional continuously variable transmission. Regardless of what's underneath, these two Encore models share the same sense of style, and it's a look we can get behind. A wide winged grille is bisected by a chrome strip that carries the Buick Tri-Shield emblem front and center. The rest of the sheetmetal is taut and crisp, with concave bodysides and muscular flanks. We'll have to wait and see what tweaks are made to the American Encore, what powertrain it will feature, and when exactly it will go on sale. In the meantime, feel free to check out the gallery up above.