Cover image via 
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to loosen regulations to allow the production of smaller, more compact cars in the US, citing the popularity of such models during his recent visit to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea
During a media conference in the Oval Office on Wednesday, 3 December, Trump said he has instructed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to lift restrictions that previously prevented manufacturers from producing and selling these compact models in the US.
He expressed belief that these compact cars would be more fuel-efficient and affordable than many existing models, adding that local production would make them more accessible to American households.
He said the idea came after seeing ultracompact cars in East Asia, which he described as "very small" and "really cute" — reminiscent of the classic Volkswagen Beetle
"If you go to Japan, where I just left, and if you go to South Korea and Malaysia and other countries, they have a very small car — sort of like the Beetle used to be.
"They're very small. They're really cute. And I said, 'How would that do in this country?' Everyone seems to think it would do well. But you're not allowed to build them. I've authorised the secretary of transportation to immediately approve the production of those cars," Trump said.
He praised Japanese automakers like Honda for producing attractive small-car designs, saying he believes such cars would perform well in the US market.
Japanese mini cars, called "kei cars" in Japan.
Image via AFP/Arab NewsTrump said the new category of cars would be cheaper and offer Americans the opportunity to own "a brand-new car as opposed to a car that maybe isn't so great"
Meanwhile, Duffy said the US government has "cleared the deck" so automakers can produce and sell smaller, more affordable cars in the US, should they choose to do so.
According to Newsweek, various regulatory barriers have historically prevented ultracompact cars from gaining traction in the US.
Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards dating back to the 1970s have tended to favour larger vehicles that more easily meet fuel-efficiency targets, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has long argued that smaller models pose greater road-safety risks.
