GM Prepares to Import Chinese Buicks to U.S.

General Motors Co. is readying a plan to introduce a Chinese-built Buick crossover in the American market as early next summer, sources tell The Wall Street Journal.

The midsize Envision would be Buick’s third crossover in the U.S. The model would join the large Enclave, which is produced in Michigan, and the compact Encore built in South Korea.

GM plans to initially import 30,000-40,000 of the cars, according to the Journal. It says the company considers the Envision as a way to fill a gap in Buick’s American line and not as a way to lower production costs. Buick sells about five times as many Buicks in China as in the U.S.

The United Auto Workers union has described the prospect of GM cars from China as “alarming.” But the Journal says the union and GM appear to have reached an agreement on the plan.

In May Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Ltd.’s Volvo Cars unit began shipping its S60 Inscription small sport sedan model from China to the U.S.