‘They’re very small, really cute’: Trump approves US production of compact cars inspired by those in Malaysia, Japan, S. Korea

WASHINGTON, Dec 4 — US president Donald Trump has authorised the production of compact cars in the United States, citing models he observed in Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.

According to a C‑SPAN clip shared by X user @Acyn, Trump, during a speech at the White House, directed the Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to immediately approve the production of ultra‑compact cars, a move that went viral on social media.

“If you go to Japan, where I just left, and if you go to South Korea, Malaysia and other countries, they have a very small car, sort of like the Beetle used to be with Volkswagen.

“They are very small, they’re really cute, and I said how would they do in this country? Everyone seems to think ‘good’ but you’re not allowed to build them and I have authorised the Secretary (of Transportation) to immediately approve the production of those cars, so you’ll be able to buy... some of them are really beautiful, actually,” Trump said.

He compared the vehicles to Volkswagen’s Beetle and noted that similar models are widely available in Asia but restricted in the US.

Trump said the compact cars he observed are cheaper and offer a practical option for owning new vehicles.

He added that Japanese brands such as Honda have successfully developed compact models, while American companies have not widely produced them due to regulatory limits.

“I believe American companies will do very well with these cars,” he said. “We’re going to approve those cars.” 

[Source: Malay Mail]