Nissan Motor Co. is squeezing all it can from its U.S. assembly plants and will need to build a new factory if it keeps growing in the lucrative American auto market, a top executive said.
"At some point, we may need it," said Jose Munoz, chairman of Nissan North America, on Friday in reference to more U.S. production capacity. The addition would have to be a standalone new factory because the company's existing plants in Tennessee and Mississippi are "maxed out," Munoz said during an interview in Detroit.
Building another factory in the U.S. would likely appease President Donald Trump, who has pressured Japanese car manufacturers to make more vehicles in America. While Nissan already has the most productive auto plant in all of North America — in Smyrna, Tennessee — the company also imports several models from Japan and is the top car producer in Mexico.