Dean Geanacopoulos, Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) senior executive vice president of public affairs and public policy, said the company is planning to increase their use of steel produced in the United States at its Chattanooga production plant.

In a statement released before hearings in Washington where a number of automakers expressed their concerns regarding the proposed tariffs, VW said it had made “significant changes” to their manufacturing processes so VW could use U.S.-made steel rather than imported metal. Geanacopoulos said VWGoA had a strategy in place to increase the volume and share of metal from U.S. plants. The Times Free Press of Chattanooga said VW sourced “roughly 57,736 metric tons last year from U.S. mills.”

The Chattanooga plant employs 3,500 people. It is the only VW plant in the U.S., producing the midsize Passat, the Atlas 7-seat SUV and a planned 5-seat SUV next year.

Read the full story, including information about VW potentially producing an electric vehicle in the U.S.