CHARLES: PRESIDENT TRUMP
TRIPLING DOWN ON HARLEY DAVIDSON
WITH A FIERY TWEET TELLING THE
COMPANY THEY SHOULD 100% STAY IN
THE U.S. AFTER THIS MORNING THE
"WALL STREET JOURNAL'S"
EDITORIAL BOARD DEFENDED HARLEY
DAVIDSON'S DECISION TO MOVE SOME
OF ITS MANUFACTURING.
BEFORE I BEGIN.
I WANTED TO SAY, I UNDERSTAND
WHAT HARLEY WANTS TO DO WITH
RESPECT TO EXPANDING OUTSIDE THE
UNITED STATES.
THE AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE MARKET
HAS PEAKED.
REGISTRATIONS HIT 549,000 IN
2006.
COMING ON STRONG.
BUT I REJECT THE NOTION THEY ARE
CLOSING THEIR KANSAS CITY PLANT
AND MOVING TO THE THAILAND
BECAUSE WE GOT OUT OF THE TPP.
THEY HAD THIS PLAN OR HAD THIS
PLAN IN AUSTRALIA.
500,000 SQUARE FEET.
THE LEASE GOES UNTIL 2020.
AND AUSTRALIA IS PART OF TPP.
PARTS AROUND THE WORLD.
PARTS MADE IN AMERICA ARE ASSUME
BELLED OVERSEAS.
BUT THE KANSAS CITY PLANT
CLOSING, ACCORDING TO THE
COMPANY IS THE RESULT OF LESS
DEMAND IN AMERICA.
THE MARKET IS SHRINKING.
MILLENNIALS DON'T LIKE HOGS AS
MUCH AS BABY BOOMERS DO.
BUT THE THAILAND ISSUE WAS, THEY
WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE AND NOT
HAVE TO PAY A TARIFF.
THEY WANT TO MAKE OVER THERE TO
SELL OVER THERE.
CHARLES: THAILAND ITSELF ISN'T
GOING TO BE THE MARKET.
FIT WAS ABOUT TPP, THEY HAD A
RULES.
I DON'T BEGRUDGE THEM.
BUT I WORRY WHEN THE COMPANIES
GET INVOLVED IN CONTENTIOUS
ISSUES GIVING CHINA MORE
LEVERAGE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK
IN THIS CASE IT WAS FAIR FOR
HARLEY TO DO THAT.
>> IF HE SUCCEEDS AND IS ABLE TO
PERSUADE EUROPE TO DO THE
PLANNING, IT'S GREAT.
BUT IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT.
THIS COMPANY IS GETTING HIT HARD
STOCK HAS SOARED SINCE HIS
ELECTION.
THEY ARE PAYING MORE FOR
ALUMINUM AND STEEL.
CHARLES: THE MARKET HAS SHRUNK
DRAMATICALLY.
NOW.
CHARLES: IS IT FAIR FOR THEM TO
GO TO THE WHITE HOUSE IN
FEBRUARY WHEN THEY MADE UP THEIR
MIND BEFORE THEN THAT THEY WERE
MOVING THEIR MANUFACTURING.
I SEE MORE CORPORATIONS BECOMING
POLITICAL LIKE THIS AND I THINK
IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE.
>> THE NEW MOVE IS TO GO TO
EUROPE WHICH IS IN RETALIATION
FOR THE TRUMP ALUMINUM AND STEEL
$300 MILLION TO AVOID $100
MILLION?
OUT THERE TODAY.
SOME PEOPLE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE
WITH THEM COMING ON A COMPANY
LIKE THIS.
I THINK THEY DISSED HIM TO A
WOULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP GOING AFTER A
BRAND THAT HAS A LOT OF OVERLAP
BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO RIDE HARLEYS.
AND HE DOES TAP INTO SOMETHING
INTERESTING IT'S SAD TO SEE A
COMPANY THAT'S SO AMERICAN.
I AM FROM THE MILWAUKEE AREA.
I UNDERSTAND THE AMERICAN
APPRECIATION, IT'S SUCH AN
AMERICAN BRAND.
YOU CAN SEE WHY PEOPLE WOULD BE
UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
IT COULD BACKFIRE.
CHARLES: ON THIS DECISION WITH
CFIUS A BIG SIGH OF RELIEF.
ONE THING THAT WAS UNDER
REPORTED.
CHINA HAS APPARENTLY STOPPED
BRAGGING ABOUT CHINA 2025.
I HAVE A FEELING SOMETHING IS
GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES.
WHAT IS THE SENSE YOU ARE
GETTING?
>> I THINK PEOPLE ARE VERY
RELIEVED, ESPECIALLY IN THE
TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY.
THAT THIS WILL NOT BE A GENERAL
WORLDWIDE LIMIT ON SILICON
VALLEY'S ABILITY TO EXPORT TO
THE WORLD OR OUR ABILITY TO TAKE
INVESTMENTS FROM PEOPLE
OVERSEAS.
CHARLES: WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE