GM-UAW 'catalyst' Peter Navarro helped seal deal

Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz discusses the tentative agreement reached between General Motors and the United Automobile Workers as well as the strike’s impact on GM’s business.

Turns out top White House trade advisor Peter Navarro can add General Motors and the United Auto Workers to his resume of deals negotiated.

FOX Business has learned Navarro worked with both parties to help reach a tentative deal, which is expected to be voted on Thursday.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
GM	GENERAL MOTORS CO.	45.36	+0.31	+0.69%

Shares of GM closed higher on Wednesday.

While it is unclear what he actually did, sources close to the talks say he acted as a “catalyst” to bring the two sides together and kept the talks going around the clock. Navarro had been involved with both parties prior to the strike when the automaker announced plans to close the Lordstown, Ohio plant. In total, GM last year announced it will close four plants in the U.S., in Maryland, Ohio and Michigan.

CEO Mary Barra, who was hands-on during the final days of the negotiations, was at the White House in September to meet with President Trump, a critic of GM for plant closings, to talk about a host of issues beyond the company itself including China trade and fuel emission standards.

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Reportedly, Navarro did much of back-forth while in Washington D.C. and never traveled to Detroit.

While Navarro is a frequent critic of China and the Democrats that are holding up the passage of the United States Mexico Canada agreement, he has dabbled in other causes including the United Postal Service. claiming its “antiquated rules” have resulted in the U.S. subsidizing packages from China at the expense of American workers and manufacturers.

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FOX Business' Grady Trimble contributed to this report.