An online report last week claimed John Deere is shutting down ALL manufacturing in response to the ongoing tariff situation in the U.S. But we looked into it, and we’re here to tell you: don’t take the bait — or, as the kids say, feed the trolls — because it’s simply not true.
An article authored by Kieran Schalkwyk and titled “John Deere Freezes U.S. Manufacturing in Unprecedented Shutdown” appeared on MSN.com and was aggregated by Google News feeds last week, claiming the manufacturer is “making a radical move that some might think is ‘un-American.’”
John Deere shared a LinkedIn post Friday afternoon. You can also visit Deere.com for more information on the company’s U.S. manufacturing presence. The MSN.com post has since been taken down and brings up an error page: It’s somewhat bewildering timing for this particular misinformation ploy.
John Deere recently put out a blog post outlining its commitment to U.S. manufacturing. The statement says John Deere will invest $20 billion into its U.S. footprint over the next decade, which includes major expansion projects in Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Today, the company has 60 manufacturing facilities in more than 16 U.S. states and employs over 30,000 American workers.
What is true is over the past 18 months, the company has been forced to lay off some employees, and it strategically slowed manufacturing at some production facilities in Iowa in response to depressed farmer demand for new tractors and combines.
Of course, John Deere is not alone navigating a treacherous global farm economy. Machinery rivals AGCO and CNH also made the tough choice to layoff factory workers over the past 12 months. CNH even completely shutdown its overseas machinery imports during the first few days of the tariff policy rollout, although that pause was only temporary.
In February, we updated our popular “Who Makes What Where” feature showing where major farm equipment is manufactured around the world.
Our analysis of John Deere’s global factory network shows that of the 60 John Deere machines relevant to U.S. farmers, 50 of them (83%) are manufactured here in North America. Of all the major farm equipment manufacturers we polled, John Deere has the largest U.S.-based manufacturing footprint other than Canadian-based Buhler Industries, which is 100% North America based.
So, it feels safe to say we can put this rumor to bed once and for all: No, John Deere is not shutting down its factories. Myth Busted. Shutdown the rumor mill.
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