0205N Mazda

A worker assembles a car at a Mazda plant in Mexico.

Mazda, Subaru brace for Trump's trade policies

Smaller automakers more exposed due to limited US production

TOKYO -- With U.S. President Donald Trump demanding that even Japanese automakers put "America first," Mazda Motor and Subaru maker Fuji Heavy Industries are growing concerned over the potential impact of tariffs and other trade protections that could limit access to the world's largest car market.

"We don't know what direction things will go," Mazda President and CEO Masamichi Kogai told reporters Sunday when asked about Trump's pledge to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. "What's important for us is to develop more attractive products and boost sales."

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