Stellantis CEO highlights diverging US and global strategies

By Nora Eckert

DETROIT, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said at an analyst conference on Thursday that there is a clear split in the global automotive market today: the U.S., and everywhere else.

The chief of the automaker, which produces Jeep and Ram vehicles, spoke about how the company is navigating a U.S. trade and policy landscape that is diverging from other regions including Europe, especially in regard to how automakers can partner with the Chinese.  

"We see clearly the world divided into two things: One is the United States ... and then we have the rest of the world," Filosa said. 

The challenge facing Stellantis and its competitors is how to develop vehicles for the U.S., its main profit engine, when regulations and consumer demand in the region are very different than elsewhere in the world. 

In the U.S., the automaker is relying fully on domestic engineering and development, he said. In other markets, including Europe, it is partnering with automakers, including China's Leapmotor and Dongfeng. 

While Filosa has said that those partnerships are not planning models for the U.S., other automakers that have forged similar agreements have come under fire from the Trump administration. Officials blasted Ford Motor for penning a joint venture with China's Geely in Europe, saying it was supporting the global expansion of Chinese automakers. Ford has said that it is adapting to the new global reality, and getting leaner and smarter through these partnerships. 

(Reporting by Nora Eckert; Editing by Mike Colias and Daniel Wallis)