General Motors will stop importing its Buick Envision from China in 2028, shifting production to the U.S. The move reflects the hefty tariffs now in place that have limited the number of Chinese-made vehicles shipped to the States. More from Headlight.News.
The move will double the number of Buick models produced in the U.S.
Buick will shift production of the compact Envision crossover from China to the United States in 2028, effectively doubling the number of nameplates the General Motors brand assembles domestically.
The move will further reduce the number of vehicles automakers are bringing in from China, a list that’s been limited due to the tariffs placed on those imports. The Trump administration has been pressing the industry to shift production of still more of those Chinese-made products back to the U.S.
“This decision further strengthens GM’s domestic manufacturing footprint and supports U.S. jobs, building on $5.5 billion in new investments announced across our U.S. manufacturing sites in the last year,” GM spokesman Kevin Kelly said in a statement.
Crossover moving to Kansas
Avenir’s price has jumped $5,000 over the last year, at least partly due to the Trump tariffs on imported autos.
Buick launched the Envision for the 2017 model year and saw it quickly rise up the sales charts. Back then, Chinese-made imports carried modest 2.5% tariffs. That now stands at 25%, a significant figure considering the crossover is targeted at a budget-minded buyer. Though GM has absorbed a large share of those tariffs it still boosted the starting price of a 2026 Envision to $41,000, a $5,000 jump from the start of the 2025 model year.
It’s unsure how that price hike will impact Envision sales. It has been one of Buick’s best-selling models, the brand delivering 41,924 of the crossovers to U.S. customers in 2025.
The move to Fairfax comes as good news for workers there. About 900 have been indefinitely idled since GM ended production of the Chevrolet Malibu sedan and Cadillac XT4 crossover last October. The Kansas plant also will begin producing a next-generation version of the Chevy Equinox in 2027. It also began assembling an all-new version of the bowtie brand’s Bolt EV late last year.
GM “Envisions” more domestic production
Currently, three of Buick’s four nameplates are imported, including two from S. Korea.
Like automakers in general, GM has been struggling to cope with the Trump administration’s tariffs – which include not only fully assembled vehicles but automotive parts and accessories, as well as foreign-made steel and aluminum. That has raised costs for U.S.-made vehicles, as well, according to the Anderson Economic Group, since all rely on at least some foreign-made parts and components.
For its part, GM last spring signaled it expected the tariffs to add $5 billion in costs for 2025, though a final figure won’t be released until the company releases fourth-quarter and full-year financial results next month.
Envision is one of several GM products coming back to the U.S. as part of that $5.5 billion investment program. The company previously said it would shift the Chevrolet Blazer out of its Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico to the Spring Hill, Tennessee assembly line in 2027. Along with other cuts there, about 1,900 Mexican workers will be laid off.
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Chinese imports take a hit
Volvo moved production of the EX30 for the U.S. market from China to Belgium to reduce tariffs.
Buick was the first U.S. automaker to start importing vehicles from China – where it has traditionally been one of the most popular foreign brands. Even with production of the Envision shifting back to the States, however, two of Buick’s four nameplates will continue to be assembled abroad: the Envista and Encore GX shipped in from South Korea. Only the Buick Enclave currently is assembled domestically,
Buick is one of several manufacturers currently importing vehicles from China, a list that also includes Lincoln, Polestar and Volvo. But the latter brand recently shifted production of its EX30 battery-electric vehicle to Ghent, Belgium because tariffs on Chinese-made EVs now stands at 102.5%.
As Headlight.News reported this week, there’s a growing interest by Chinese domestic brands, such as BYD and Chery, to enter the U.S. market. But that is expected to see them set up manufacturing facilities in the States. Geely already has an operation in place, the plant in Charleston, South Carolina that assembles some Buick and Polestar models.
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