GE Appliances announced Wednesday that it plans to pour $3 billion into expanding and upgrading its manufacturing operations in the United States over the next five years.
The company said investment will be spread across its plants in South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and its headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, where a $490 million washing-machine factory expansion is already underway. The upgrades will increase the manufacture of new refrigerators, gas ranges, air conditioners, and water heaters, bringing additional jobs from Mexico and China to the United States. In addition to creating 1,000 new jobs, this action strengthens the company’s supply chain, supports American manufacturing, and helps it avoid certain tariff charges.
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GE Appliances CEO Kevin Nolan said the company has always preferred making its products close to where they’re sold, but trade factors were also a big driver behind the decision to modernize its older plants. “I think it’s become obvious with tariffs that building in the U.S. is a good thing right now,” he noted. With this new round of spending, GE Appliances will have invested a total of $6.5 billion in its American factories and distribution network since 2016.
Recently, more global companies have been ramping up their investments in the U.S., a trend that gained momentum as President Donald Trump urged businesses across industries to bring more production home and create American jobs. Also, the wave of tariffs on imported goods has only intensified the push for companies to produce more in the United States. By moving manufacturing closer to their biggest markets, firms can sidestep costly import duties, reduce shipping delays, and avoid disruptions tied to global trade tensions.
Apple has announced it will put another $100 billion into its U.S. operations, on top of a previous $500 billion pledge, with much of the money going into chip and semiconductor manufacturing in places like Kentucky and Texas. “We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.
Taiwan’s TSMC is also moving ahead with a $100 billion project in Arizona to build new chip plants and research centers, supported by federal incentives. In the car industry, Honda is shifting production of its Civic Hybrid Hatchback to Indiana, while Hyundai plans to spend $21 billion through 2028 to expand its American factories and reach a target of 1.2 million vehicles a year.
Other global brands including BMW, Barry Callebaut, Campari, Compal Electronics, and Essity are also scaling up in the U.S., whether by adding extra shifts in South Carolina or setting up new facilities. The simplest reason is that more businesses are moving their manufacturing closer to their largest market as a result of growing trade tensions and tariffs.