President-elect Donald Trump used a Thursday announcement Carrier would keep its air-conditioning manufacturing plant in Indianapolis — saving 1,100 jobs — to declare "companies are not going to leave the United States any more without consequences."
"Not going to happen," Trump said to cheering employees at the plant, which Carrier said last year would be moved to Mexico. "It's not going to happen. We're losing so much.
"We like Mexico," he added. "I was there three months ago with the president of Mexico. Terrific guy, but we have to have a fair shake. We're not getting anything."
Carrier said it would not close its air-conditioning plant in Indianapolis after reaching a deal Tuesday with Trump, initially sparing 1,000 jobs. Trump announced the deal Wednesday.
"I'm pleased to announce that we have decided to keep Carrier in Indianapolis," Greg Hayes, chairman and CEO of United Technologies, Carrier's parent company, said at the start of Trump's announcement. "The plant will remain open and continue manufacturing operations here."
Hayes said 1,100 jobs — more than the initial number announced — would remain in the Hoosier State.
He added United Technologies would designate the plant a Center of Excellence for Gas-Furnace Production — investing $16 million over two years to "ensure that it remains a world-class manufacturing facility with the ability to compete globally."
Vice President-elect and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence declared "it's a renewed day for manufacturing in America.
"Today, America won," he continued. "And we have Donald Trump to thank."
Seth Martin, a Carrier spokesman, said Thursday that Indiana offered the company $7 million in tax incentives after negotiations with Trump's team to keep some jobs in the state.
In touting the deal, Trump praised company officials — saying they "stepped up" to make the effort successful.
"I did say one thing to the Carrier folks and the United Technologies folks," he continued. "I said the good will that you have engendered by doing this all over the world, frankly, but within our country — you watch how fast you'll make it up because so many people are going to be buying carrier air-conditioners."
He also reiterated campaign pledges to reduce business taxes to as low as 15 percent — from the current 35 percent — and roll back regulations he said have been crippling American companies.
"This is terrible for business," he said of the nation's high tax rate. "The regulations might be worse for you than the high taxes."
The president-elect also slammed NAFTA — "and I don't have to mention who signed it anymore" — and declared "it will be changed.
"We have to bring our jobs back," Trump said. "We have to let other companies know that we'll do great things for business.
"You don't have to leave anymore. Your taxes will be at the very low end — and your unnecessary regulations will be gone.
"We need regulations for safety and environment and things, but most of the regulations are nonsense."
During the campaign, Trump threatened to impose sharp tariffs on companies that moved factories to Mexico. His advisers also have since promoted lower corporate tax rates to keep jobs in the U.S.
He repeated that pledge in Indianapolis, saying companies will be "taxed heavily at the border if they want to fire their people, leave, make their products in different countries — and then think they'll sell that product over the border."
Trump also thanked Pence for his work on the Carrier deal and dismissed criticism about negotiating directly with corporate officials to protect jobs.
"I think it's very presidential — and if it's not presidential, that's OK," Trump said. "That's OK, because I like doing it.
"We're going to have a lot of phone calls made to companies when they say they're thinking about leaving this country, because they're not leaving this country.
"They're not going to leave — and the workers can keep their jobs.
"They can leave from state to state and negotiate deals with different states, but leaving the country will be very, very difficult."
Carrier's reversal led a senator in Mexico to warn of "serious" implications for the company by not moving to the state of Nuevo Leon.
"The implications are very serious, not only for Nuevo Leon, but for Carrier," Sen. Marcela Guerra said Wednesday.
"The one who is going to suffer from this is the company . . . because their products are going to be more expensive."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.