President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose a “big border tax” on General Motors Co for making some of its Chevrolet Cruze compact cars in Mexico, an arrangement the largest US automaker defended as part of its strategy to serve global customers, not sell them in the United States.

Trump’s comments marked his latest broadside aimed at an American company over jobs, imports and costs before he takes office on January 20, signalling an uncommon degree of intervention for an incoming US President into corporate affairs.

“General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers-tax free across border. Make in USA or pay big border tax!” Trump said in a post on Twitter.

Trump did not provide further details but previously vowed to hit companies that shift production from America to other countries with a 35 per cent tax on their exports into the US. He also has denounced the North American Free Trade Agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada.

Trump’s tweet came hours before GM’s rival Ford Motor Co. announced it would cancel a planned $1.6 billion factory in Mexico and would invest $700 million at a Michigan factory, after it also came under criticism from the Republican president-elect for its Mexican investment plans. Ford’s executive chairman, Bill Ford Jr, said he personally notified Trump of the decision.

GM, the world’s number three automaker, said it sold about 190,000 Cruze cars in the US in 2016. All of the sedan versions sold in the US, or about 185,500, were built at its plant in Lordstown, Ohio. About 4,500 hatchback versions of the Cruze were assembled in Mexico and sold in the US.

Since winning the November 8 presidential election, Trump has targeted GM’s rival Ford Motor Co, United Technologies Inc, Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp.

Trump also has touted decisions by companies to keep some production in the US, including United’s Carrier unit in Indiana.

“In this case, the tweet was specific to General Motors. But I think you’ve seen an overall philosophy during the campaign and since he was elected to stand up for American workers and make sure that American companies don’t benefit from moving their companies overseas and leaving American workers behind,” Trump transition team spokesman Sean Spicer said.

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