Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and business leaders attending the ongoing 2026 Detroit Auto Show stressed the significance of promoting technological development and increasing flexibility in business operations to tackle some of the most urgent challenges confronting the U.S. auto industry.
The event, scheduled to run from Jan 14 to 25, has brought together a full slate of major automotive brands.
At the opening day of the event, the former U.S. Transportation Secretary attended a sideline forum and shared his views on the situation of the U.S. auto industry, criticizing that policies rolled out by the administration of President Donald Trump blocks the development of the sector.
"It's disorienting for automakers, it's problematic for auto workers, and it's, you know, frankly self-defeating for anybody who says they want to keep American industry at the cutting edge. Let's be very clear, the President has basically ordered the auto industry to move backward technologically. I can't think of any time when America or any other country succeeded economically by moving backward technologically," said Buttigieg.
Besides, the event also drew some of the most advanced vehicles, with the Dodge Charger winning the 2026 North American Car of the Year award, and the Hyundai Palisade winning the utility award after fierce competition.
Leaders from the award-winning automakers said that as they face growing uncertainties in operating their business globally, they believe increasing flexibility would help them tackle headwinds and better meet the demand of customers.
"These are the challenges of running a global business, right? You're going to have different administrations. You're going to have different challenges. They come across. As they come across, so what you have to do is have flexibility in your system, flexibility in your manufacturing, flexibility in your power trains, such that you can adjust as necessary and don't have to flip-flop strategy that should be based on consumer demand," said Olabisi Boyle, senior vice president of product planning and mobility strategy for Hyundai Motor North America.
"I think we're going to continue to see it evolve. I think the technology is here to stay. It's going to fluctuate over the next coming years, and with this platform, we can flex to meet that demand," said Matt McAlear, CEO of Dodge.
Business leaders, political figure call for tech advancement, operational flexibility at Detroit Auto Show
One month into the island-wide special customs operations, the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) in south China has seen a sharp rise in global tourist traffic and duty-free purchases, official figures showed on Sunday.
According to Haikou Customs, from Dec 18, 2025 to Jan 17, 2026, the duty-free sales supervised by customs reached 4.86 billion yuan (about 693.5 million U.S. dollars), up 46.8 percent year-on-year, and the number of shoppers rose 30.2 percent year-on-year to 745,000, showing sustained strong consumption vitality.
Data from the Haikou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station shows that during the past month, Hainan ports inspected 186,000 foreign travelers entering and exiting the island province, up 46 percent year on year.
To accommodate the rising passenger traffic, border inspection authorities have comprehensively upgraded both software and hardware facilities to ensure efficient clearance processes and high-quality service.
"We are going to be staying there for a couple of nights, enjoying the beach and everything. No transfers, just straight [to Hainan]. It gives us a lot more time to look around here," said Mark, a U.S. tourist.
"We Thai nationals also get visa-free entry here for tourism purposes (with no need to transfer flights), which saves time and is very convenient. The police officers always try their best to assist us tourists," said a Thai tourist.
For many visitors, duty-free shopping has become an indispensable part of their itineraries. Especially since the launch of island-wide special customs operations, duty-free shopping has been exceptionally booming, highlighting the strong vitality and huge potential of Hainan as an international tourism and consumption center.
To better meet the diverse needs of tourists, Hainan's duty-free policy ushered in a new round of adjustments on Nov. 1, 2025. The categories of duty-free goods increased from 45 to 47, and the beneficiary range was expanded to include outbound travelers, attracting more international tourists to duty-free shopping.
"[The malls] are big, the pleasant prices, very modern, a lot of brands, and almost everything that I need," said Deanna, a Russian tourist.
In addition, the new duty-free policy has significantly lowered the purchase threshold for local residents. Under the policy, local residents with a departure record can purchase up to 15 "pick-up" items at any time throughout the year, which has also stimulated the shopping enthusiasm.
"This has led to the gradual expansion of duty-free shopping from an exclusive privilege for travelers to becoming a part of Hainan's local life. Meanwhile, the number of international visitors continues to grow steadily, significantly broadening the customer base," said Wang Ren'an, manager of the operations department of Haikou International Duty-Free City Shopping Complex under China Duty Free Group.
China on Dec 18 last year launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, the largest free trade port globally by geographical area, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanded zero-tariff coverage and more business-friendly measures.
Duty-free shopping booms in Hainan amid int'l visitor surge
