Plants get wearables to track their health

With new sensors, farmers could use real-time information to manage crop conditions before visible signs of plant stress appear

Tufts University

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“The leaf sensor is more of an early warning system showing how the plant is responding in the moment, before visible signs appear,” said Nafize Hossain. 

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Credit: Nafize Hossain

A smartwatch can tell us the level of oxygen in our blood, when our sleep is restless, or the number of steps we take in a day. Now imagine that kind of tracking ability for plants.

By the time farmers see curling leaves or stunted growth in their fields, their crops may already have spent days under stress. A new innovation in plant “wearable” sensors aims to catch those distress signals earlier—before the plant visibly suffers, allowing farmers to respond and help their crops thrive.

In a recent study from Tufts University, researchers created tiny tattoo-like sensors that adhere to leaf surfaces and a stretchable band that wraps around stems. Together, they track two vital signs of plant life—the temperature and humidity beneath the leaf’s surface, and whether the stem is still growing. Even more striking, the system runs without an external battery, scavenging power from moisture evaporating from the plant itself.

“The larger promise is not merely that one plant can wear one sensor,” said Sameer Sonkusale, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts and senior researcher in the project. “It is that fields could one day contain networks of plant-level monitors, each reporting early signs of thirst, salt stress, disease or nutrient imbalance. Satellites and drones already give farmers a bird’s-eye view. Plant wearables could provide something more intimate: the plant’s-eye view.”

Current methods in monitoring crops use satellite imagery and drones to get visible, infrared, and microwave data that map out greenness, uneven growth, temperature, pest damage, soil moisture, and other big picture measurements of crop stress. Soil sensors can measure moisture, temperature, pH, and some nutrient levels. And weather stations provide information on air temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind, and sun exposure.

While those measurements are useful, they focus on conditions that may affect the crops in the future or an assessment of damage already done. “The leaf sensor is more of an early warning system showing how the plant is responding in the moment, before visible signs appear,” said Nafize Hossain, a graduate student at Tufts who led the research in the Sonkusale lab.

The sensors can also be extended to track other important indicators of plant health, such as levels of important nutrients and plant hormones that are early signals of root, leaf, stem, and fruit growth, as well as response to pathogens.

Stress Trackers

Resembling a temporary tattoo, the leaf sensor is thin, flexible, and can sit on uneven surfaces, allowing the plant to breathe and bend in the wind without damaging it. “Other plant sensors exist, but their ability to track multiple stressors and growth-related parameters is limited,” said Hossain, “and the technology often relies on external batteries, which complicate field deployment.”

The sensor first developed by the researchers provides information on the “vapor pressure deficit,” or VPD. It’s a technical term, but it describes something very intuitive—how likely the air is to pull water from the plant. When VPD is high, the air is dry and pulls moisture from leaves more aggressively. Plants respond by closing their stomata, the tiny pores that regulate gas exchange and water loss. That can protect them from dehydration, but it also slows photosynthesis and growth.

The Tufts leaf moisture sensor uses vanadium pentoxide crystals separated into extremely thin “nanosheets.” The nanosheets are stacked into layers and arranged in a membrane. Another layer of graphene (made of carbon atoms) forms a sieve to let moisture through from the plant to the nanosheets. When that happens, the water forms ions, which sweep through sheets creating a current—and voila, it’s not only a sensor, but also a battery. The level of the current is directly proportional to the amount of moisture exchange with the air.

The power is tiny—microwatts—but enough, with low-power electronics and energy storage to support periodic sensing.

The stem-based device borrows from kirigami, the Japanese art of cutting paper so it can stretch and deform in controlled ways. The sensor is coated with a eutectogel, a soft, ion-conducting gel that changes electrical resistance as the stem expands or contracts. In healthy growth, the stem diameter tends to increase. Under stress, growth may slow or the stem may even shrink.

Pairing the two types of sensors is important, because plants can show stress on more than one time scale. Leaf sensors, for example, can show if the plant is facing immediate conditions that drive water loss, while stem growth captures a slower biological process.

In tests on bell pepper plants, the system distinguished healthy plants from plants facing water deficit and salinity stress. Healthy plants showed rhythmic VPD changes over time, following normal daily cycles of air moisture.

Water-stressed plants showed a rising VPD trend. Salinity-stressed plants showed a different pattern, with reduced VPD compared with controls, likely linked to altered water uptake and stomatal behavior. Meanwhile, the stem sensor tracked growth in healthy plants and shrinking or reduced diameter in stressed plants.

The sensors are built with field conditions in mind. The leaf sensor is designed to tolerate bending and stretching, while ethe stem sensor’s kirigami pattern helps distribute strain and reduces the effects of abrupt disturbances like strong winds.

The team is currently working on a fully functional wireless communication platform for the sensors using LoRa (long range) or Bluetooth-based communication standards.

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Journal

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI

10.1021/acsami.6c03190 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

In-Planta Tattoo and Kirigami Sensors for Moisture-Powered Monitoring of Vapor Pressure Deficit and Growth Dynamics

Roots steer clear of plant rot

Newly identified ‘saprotropism’ helps roots avoid decaying plant matter—but not animal decay

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Institute of Science and Technology Austria

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The roots of plants bend away from decaying plant material (in the center). This process—newly identified by researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and Northwest A&F University in China—is called saprotropism, derived from the Greek term “sapro” for “rotten”. 

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Credit: © Bao et al. / Science

Decaying matter shapes life in soil, but it can also create hostile zones for growing roots. Professor Jiří Friml of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and international collaborators have now identified “saprotropism,” a root response that guides plants away from decaying plant-derived matter—but not animal-derived decay. The study, led by Yuzhou Zhang, Professor at Northwest A&F University in China and published in Science, reveals how roots adapt their growth direction by sensing local pH gradients around rot.

Plants cannot run away from danger or toward something they desire. Instead, they adjust the direction in which they grow. Shoots bend toward light (a well-known phenomenon called phototropism), roots and shoots use gravity to grow downward and upward, respectively (gravitropism), and roots can also bend toward water (hydrotropism). These directional growth responses, known as plant tropisms, help plants navigate changing environments. Now, researchers from China and Austria describe a new member of this family: saprotropism, from “sapro”, meaning rotten or decaying.

“Going beyond the classic tropisms such as gravitropism, phototropism, and hydrotropism was Yuzhou’s idea,” says co-author Jiří Friml, professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). “As an alum of my group at ISTA, he took this question further and identified saprotropism, as well as the mechanisms behind it.”

Saprotropism: Don’t touch dead plants, it’s yucky!

The researchers first showed that direct contact with decaying plant tissue strongly inhibited root growth and activated defense pathways linked to immunity and pathogens. In other words, roots treated these decay zones as biologically threatening environments.

“Animals instinctively avoid rotten food because it often harbors harmful microbes,” says corresponding author Yuzhou Zhang, Professor at Northwest A&F University in China and an alum of the Friml group at ISTA. “We wondered whether plants, although immobile, might have evolved a comparable strategy below ground.”

And, in fact, they do: The newly identified tropism enables roots to actively bend away from decaying plant matter. In experiments, roots avoided decay zones made from ‘fleshy’ matter such as apples or leaves, and—contrary to initial assumptions—also from woody material such as sawdust.

Dead animals don’t bother plants

However, when the researchers tested animal-derived decay, such as small pieces of chicken meat, the roots showed no directional growth response.

“One of the striking findings was therefore that the roots did not simply avoid anything rotten,” says Friml. “They responded specifically to decomposing plant material. This tells us that saprotropism is not a general reaction to rot, but a dedicated response to plant-derived decay.”

The response was observed not only in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, but also in crop species including rapeseed, tomato, and wheat—suggesting that saprotropism is widespread among plants.

Watching the effects of a tiny ‘plant graveyard’

The team found that a key signal comes from microorganisms, especially fungi, as they break down dead plant material. During decomposition, fungi release acidic metabolites, including organic and phenolic acids. These compounds diffuse into the surrounding soil and create stable local pH gradients around the decaying material. Roots can detect this acidity pattern even before direct contact and use it as directional information, bending away from the more acidic side.

However, the ‘plant graveyard’ does not send a permanent warning signal—it stops automatically after the matter has turned into soil. “Once the plant material had almost fully broken down, the acidic warning signal faded—and the roots stopped bending away,” explains Zhang.

To study the process under controlled conditions, the researchers used a vertical split-agar system—a flat, upright plate in which different agar media create a defined chemical gradient. As roots grow downward along the plate, scientists can observe whether they bend toward or away from a specific cue, such as acidity connected with decay.

“At ISTA, we have used similar systems for many years to study how roots grow toward water,” says Friml. A specialized vertical microscope had been constructed at the Institute for that specific purpose. “Now, that same setup helped reveal the opposite response—roots growing away from a potentially harmful cue. Unlike other tropisms, the key player here isn’t the plant hormone auxin.”

Roots dance to the sound of ABA

Within the root, an external signal is transformed into a growth decision: Cells on the root surface detect that one side of the root is exposed to stronger acidity than the other. This uneven signal changes the distribution of the plant hormone abscisic acid, or ABA, across the root tip. As a result, the internal framework of root cells is rearranged, causing one side of the root to grow differently than the other. The root then bends away from the decaying plant material.

“Our research shows that decaying plant matter is not just a passive source of nutrients,” Zhang states. “It creates a chemical landscape that roots can read. Saprotropism shows how plants interpret microbial activity in the soil and make growth decisions accordingly.”

Fundamental science with relevance for agriculture and food security

The discovery of saprotropism—a term coined by the study authors—opens up new research avenues, such as how roots interpret microbial activity in soil. In the long term, a better understanding of such root behaviors could help inform approaches in agriculture, soil management, and crop resilience.

“Crop culture practices that involve excessive incorporation of undecomposed crop residues can create large decay zones that exceed the root's capacity to navigate around them, potentially increasing exposure to harmful microbes and promoting root diseases,” explains Zhang. Understanding the molecular basis of saprotropism opens new opportunities to develop crops with enhanced ability to detect and avoid pathogen-rich environments. “In the future, breeding or engineering varieties with stronger ‘decay-avoidance’ capacity could complement conventional disease resistance strategies by preventing root-pathogen encounters before infection occurs,” he sums up. 

Journal

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.adw6568 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Roots navigate around decay regions by sensing local pH gradients

Article Publication Date

9-Jul-2026

 

Fungi and other microbes break down dead plant material in the soil. By doing so, they release acidic chemicals that spread outward like a warning signal. Nearby roots sense this acidic zone before touching the decay and bend away from it. 

 

The process in detail: A molecular framework for root saprotropism guiding navigation around microbial decay. Microbial decay establishes a soil microenvironment characterized by stable acidic pH gradients. This pH asymmetry is sensed by the epidermal pH sensor, RGF-RGFR peptide-receptor module, which converts it into asymmetric abscisic acid (ABA) distribution. ABA asymmetry drives microtubule-dependent anisotropic cell expansion and handed root twisting, ultimately steering roots away from hostile decay zones.  

 

Plants bend their roots away from a rotten apple, leaf, and even sawdust. The response was observed not only in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, but also in crop species including rapeseed, tomato, and wheat—suggesting that saprotropism is widespread among plants. 

 

When the researchers tested animal-derived decay, in this case rotten chicken, the roots showed no directional growth response.

 

ISTA Professor Jiří Friml with the mouse-ear cress (A. thaliana) — his research group’s main model organism. 

Credit

© FWF/Luiza Puiu

 

Rewriting the reactivity rules: A new catalyst for recycling mixed plastics

Japanese researchers have developed a catalyst that selectively degrades polyurethane in mixed plastic waste, opening a practical route to recycling materials long considered too complex to separate

Kyushu University

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Japanese researchers have developed a catalyst that selectively degrades polyurethane in mixed plastic waste, opening a practical route to recycling materials long considered too complex to separate.

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Credit: Takanori Iwasaki / Kyushu University

Fukuoka, Japan—Ever wondered where your plastics end up? A PET bottle can be washed, shredded, melted, and given a second life. But most everyday items—toys, mattresses, car seats—are made from different plastics that refuse to mix when melted, producing unusable, contaminated material. Sorting is difficult and expensive, so most mixed plastic waste ends up burned or buried, and the materials are lost for good.

On 9 July 2026, a Japanese research team reported a potential solution in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, which the journal selected as a Hot Paper. Using a newly developed catalyst and hydrogen gas, they selectively broke down polyurethane (PU) in mixed plastic waste, leaving coexisting polyester and polyamide materials intact for further processing and recycling.

“PU is the sixth most widely used polymer, found in textiles, sponges, and car seats, yet it remains largely outside the reach of recycling systems,” explains Professor Takanori Iwasaki of Kyushu University’s Faculty of Engineering. “Unlike PET, it does not melt when heated, so we need to break the chemical bonds directly.”

The challenge is that PU is almost always blended or bonded with polyester and nylon in real-world products. Existing chemical methods break down PU but damage the other materials in the process, making separate recovery impossible. 

Iwasaki, together with researchers at the University of Tokyo and Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, found a way around this. By combining an iridium-based catalyst with a phenolate salt—an activator for iridium catalyst—and using hydrogen gas at 130–170°C, the team successfully degraded PUs in mixed plastic waste while coexisting polyester and nylon remained completely unchanged.

“What I find most remarkable is that it overturns what every undergraduate learns in organic chemistry,” notes Iwasaki. In standard chemistry, esters are more reactive than amides, and amides more reactive than urethanes. This means polyester should break down before nylon, and nylon before PU. “By combining iridium catalyst and the right additive, we flipped that sequence entirely. The least reactive bond gets cut first, while the more reactive ones are left untouched.”

Beyond laboratory experiments, the team tested the method on real commercial products. A kitchen sponge and blended underwear, containing PU alongside polyester and nylon, were successfully treated, with the PU breaking down into reusable components while the polyester and nylon stayed intact. The method also worked on a mobile phone case and an end-of-life car seat.

As the process achieves material separation and chemical recycling in a single step, it opens new possibilities for waste long considered too complex to handle. The team sees particular promise in end-of-life vehicle recycling and mattress disposal, two industries generating enormous volumes of PU waste with limited recycling solutions today.

The research also speaks to a broader tension in materials design. Faced with recycling difficulties, manufacturers increasingly replace high-performance materials with easier-to-recycle alternatives.

“Japan’s Shinkansen trains are a good example,” adds Iwasaki. “Newer models have replaced PU seat cushions with polyester. It is easier to recycle but noticeably less comfortable. If we can handle mixed plastics properly, manufacturers no longer need to make that trade-off.”

The team acknowledges that cost and scalability remain to be addressed. Iridium, the metal at the heart of the catalyst, is rarer and more expensive than gold. Finding more affordable alternatives and improving catalytic efficiency are essential next steps.

“Plastic recycling is only the beginning,” reflects Iwasaki. “As an organic chemist, what excites me most is the ability to selectively override chemical reactivity rules. My hope is that this opens more bridges between fundamental chemistry and real-world problems, from plastic waste to pharmaceutical synthesis and beyond.”

 

 

Mixed plastic waste often contains polyurethane tangled together with polyester and nylon, and these materials normally have to be separated before recycling can happen. Using a new catalyst and hydrogen gas, researchers selectively broke down the polyurethane into small, reusable molecules, which were then easily separated from the intact polyester and nylon by simple filtration. The process achieves separation and chemical recycling in a single step, opening new possibilities for waste long considered too complex to handle.

Credit

Takanori Iwasaki / Kyushu University

For more information about this research, see “Selective Degradation of Polyurethanes in Mixed Plastic Wastes via Ir-Catalyzed Hydrogenolysis,” Yuto Yamada, Takanori Iwasaki, Shinji Tanaka, and Kyoko Nozaki,Angewandte Chemie International Edition, https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.4288189

 

About Kyushu University 
Founded in 1911, Kyushu University is one of Japan's leading research-oriented institutions of higher education, consistently ranking as one of the top ten Japanese universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World Rankings. Located in Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu—the most southwestern of Japan’s four main islands—Kyushu U sits in a coastal metropolis frequently ranked among the world’s most livable cities and historically known as Japan’s gateway to Asia. Its multiple campuses are home to around 19,000 students and 8,000 faculty and staff. Through its VISION 2030, Kyushu U will “drive social change with integrative knowledge.” By fusing the spectrum of knowledge, from the humanities and arts to engineering and medical sciences, Kyushu U will strengthen its research in the key areas of decarbonization, medicine and health, and environment and food, to tackle society’s most pressing issues.

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Journal

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

DOI

10.1002/anie.4288189 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Selective Degradation of Polyurethanes in Mixed Plastic Wastes via Ir-Catalyzed Hydrogenolysis

Article Publication Date

9-Jul-2026

Yokota Air Base Returns Historic Aircraft Artifacts To Preserve Japan’s Aviation Heritage

World War II-era Imperial Japanese Army aircraft artifacts are displayed at Yokota Air Base, Japan, July 1, 2026. The artifacts, discovered during a construction project on the installation, were transferred to Japanese government representatives for continued research and preservation.

 Photo Credit: Yasuo Osakabe, Air Force

July 8, 2026 
By Yasuo Osakabe

Key Takeaways

Historic Discovery — Construction crews at Yokota Air Base (formerly Tama Army Airfield) uncovered WWII-era Imperial Japanese Army aircraft artifacts (radiators, engines, landing gear, etc.) buried 7-10 feet underground in January 2026.

Expert Assessment and Rare Items — A multidisciplinary team, including the Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum, confirmed the artifacts came from multiple aircraft types (e.g., Kawasaki Ki-61, Ki-45, Ki-102), with some rare components retaining original wartime paint.

Successful Repatriation — On July 1, 2026, the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron transferred the artifacts to Japanese government representatives for research, preservation, and potential public display, highlighting ongoing US-Japan cooperation in cultural heritage protection.

Members assigned to the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, transferred World War II-era Imperial Japanese Army aircraft artifacts to representatives of the Japanese government July 1, marking the return of historically significant materials discovered during a construction project on base.

In January, construction crews uncovered the artifacts approximately 7-10 feet below ground during a construction project on base. Initially believed to be unidentified metal debris, the materials were referred for further evaluation after environmental personnel recognized their potential historical significance.

“When these materials were uncovered, I determined they should be assessed for historical significance,” said Callie Oldfield, 374th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental scientist. “We were only able to recognize the true significance of these artifacts because of the knowledge and expertise of the historians and museum curators.”

Oldfield coordinated the initial assessment with the Fussa City Board of Education before assembling a multidisciplinary team led by the Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum. The team included aviation historians, museum curators, cultural property specialists and aviation technology experts who conducted an on-site examination of the collection in May.

Researchers assessed the recovered materials were Imperial Japanese Army aviation artifacts consisting of aircraft radiators, engine components, landing gear assemblies, airframe sections and deactivated munitions. Their investigation concluded the collection represents components from multiple Imperial Japanese Army aircraft, reflecting the historical role of Yokota Air Base, formerly Tama Army Airfield, where numerous aircraft underwent testing during World War II.

The team also identified several rare components, including a water cooler from a Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien fighter aircraft, oil coolers from a Kawasaki Ki-45 twin-engine fighter aircraft and an oil cooler believed to be from a Kawasaki Ki-102 fighter aircraft. According to the researchers, some components may be among the few surviving examples of their kind and retain original wartime paint valuable for aviation conservation research.

Following the assessment, Oldfield coordinated the transfer of the artifacts to the appropriate Japanese authorities for continued research, preservation and potential public display. The artifacts were temporarily stored on base while the appropriate Japanese agencies coordinated their acceptance.

“I don’t want to lose a piece of history,” Oldfield said. “Although preserving and assessing artifacts takes time, the best outcome is seeing them used for education and research. I’m excited to see what new information these artifacts will reveal in the future.”

Japanese government representatives visited the base to receive the collection, while members of the engineer squadron assisted with loading the artifacts for transport.

The transfer reflects the continued cooperation between the base and its Japanese partners to preserve historically significant materials discovered during ongoing installation construction and modernization projects.

Toyota to invest $3.6bn in Texas as Tacoma production shifts from Mexico

Toyota said it will add 2,000 workers at its Texas plant to bolster assembly operations. / Bicanski

By Julian DeLucia July 7, 2026

Toyota Motor Corp will invest $3.6bn to expand its manufacturing plant in San Antonio, Texas, creating a second vehicle assembly line and around 2,000 jobs by 2030. The move, announced on July 7, will gradually shift part of the production of the Tacoma pickup truck from Mexico to Texas over roughly four years, though Toyota will continue building some Tacoma models — as well as the Corolla — at its Mexican plants.

The expansion will add 2.5mn square feet to the Texas facility, doubling its size, and bring more than 150,000 units of additional annual capacity, closely matching the volume being wound down at Toyota's Tijuana plant in Baja California, El Economista reported. Notably, Toyota's own announcement made no reference to tariffs as a driver of the decision, even as the White House moved quickly to cast it as vindication of its trade policy.

"By expanding our San Antonio plant, we are reinforcing our commitment to American manufacturing, creating meaningful and sustainable jobs," said Tetsuo "Ted" Ogawa, president and chief executive of Toyota North America, who also described the investment as reflecting the company's confidence in the region's workforce, innovation and long-term growth potential.

With the new outlay, Toyota's cumulative investment in San Antonio since construction began in 2003 will reach $8.3bn, and its Texas workforce is expected to grow to roughly 6,000 employees, supported by 23 on-site suppliers. The plant has produced trucks and sport utility vehicles for two decades, assembling more than 197,000 units last year, and remains the sole manufacturing site for the Tundra and Sequoia models.

"San Antonio is proud to be home to Toyota, and we are excited to have been selected for further expansion," said San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.

The latest announcement builds on a broader US investment push: The Japanese automaker said in November it planned to invest up to $10bn in the country over five years, a commitment it began detailing in March with a wider North American investment plan, expanded on in the days following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to the White House. Toyota already ranks among the world's largest carmakers, and the added Texas capacity could support its ambition to become the top-selling carmaker in the US.

President Donald Trump, who has pushed carmakers to shift production to the US through tariffs on vehicles, steel and aluminium, claimed the investment as evidence his policy was working. “Toyota is moving from Mexico to the United States (Texas!). A really big deal. Tariffs at work!” he wrote on Truth Social. Speaking later the same day during a visit to Ankara, Turkey, he returned to the theme: "It came over the wires that Toyota is moving out of Mexico into the United States, and building one of the biggest truck and car plants ever built. It's amazing. That's what tariffs do, properly used." Peter Navarro, the White House's top trade adviser, pointed to the same investment figures as evidence the administration's tariff strategy was reshaping carmakers' production decisions, according to El Economista.

The announcement followed Washington's decision on July 1 not to renew the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in its current form for a further 16 years, subjecting the pact instead to annual reviews, a shift that has unsettled business leaders on both sides of the border. The Trump administration is said to be pushing for revised rules that would require half of all automotive parts and manufacturing to take place in the US, according to Business Insider.

Toyota said it remained committed to its operations across all three USMCA countries, calling for what it termed a swift resolution to the trade dispute to keep North America globally competitive. Toyota Mexico, contacted separately, said operations continued as normal at its plants in Tijuana and Guanajuato. The Tijuana facility produces about 150,000 units a year and employs 2,000 people.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sought to play down the impact on July 7, telling her morning press conference that Toyota had notified the Ministry of Economy it would transfer part of Tacoma production from Tijuana to the US gradually, with the shift completing by 2030 and the plant's longer-term future still under review. She stressed that Toyota's Guanajuato complex, which directly employs 2,800 people, would continue operating. Sheinbaum rejected any suggestion that the decision was linked to the USMCA review, describing it instead as part of a worldwide restructuring by the company. "What Toyota is telling us is that it's part of their global review... We always seek the best conditions for the workers," she said. She added that the ministry had also secured a new investment exceeding $500mn from another, unnamed, automotive company, with an announcement expected in the coming days.

The move adds to a wider pattern of carmakers reassessing Mexico-based production that has historically relied on duty-free access to the US market, as Trump's tariffs raise the cost of that arrangement.