In Europe, it can be unclear what is a domestic brand, too. In the UK for instance, most Minis are made locally (though owned by BMW) and Nissan has a large plant. On the other hand, in France Peugeot and Citroën are now part of Stellantis, which also owns Fiat, Chrysler, etc is HQ'd in the Netherlands... what's the difference at this point? "Domestic brand" is becoming a historical artifact but hollow in practice.
aurareturn•1h ago
Do western governments not subsidize their car makers with tariffs, bailouts, tax cuts, etc?
ben_w•1h ago
Yes, but the Chinese ones are done better.
UK government essentially* self-lobotomised with civil service cuts in the post-GFC "austerity" measures, so it doesn't have a good grasp on how to solve problems.
Throwing money around without sufficient care to the precise thing being subsidised, that just promotes wasteful spending, it doesn't grow the thing the subsidy was meant to grow. Cobra effect, etc.
* this wasn't their intent, of course; the rhetoric was all the usual stuff about "bloated" and "bureaucratic" and so on.
mytailorisrich•1h ago
It is easy to blame "subsidies", which is calling the kettle black, but I think the main issue is the lack of industrial policy and what are effectively "degrowth" policies in European countries and the EU at large.