American On The Outside

There’s great pride in buying a new car, especially when that vehicle is American made. Well, mostly American made.

According to the New York Times, China exported $12 billion in auto parts, up from $2 billion in 2002. Most of those came to North America—and soon, they’ll be sending over entire vehicles. Chrysler has signed a deal with China’s largest car company to make one of their smaller cars, a Dodge subcompact.

If you really are concerned about “buying locally,” as it were, you shouldn’t worry too much just yet. The majority of your vehicle is still made in the U.S. or Canada—it’s usually the engine or other under-the-hood parts coming from halfway around the world. After all, it is a global marketplace! [New York Times]