INDIANAPOLIS -- Donald Trump addressed the deal that will keep 800 Carrier jobs in Indianapolis during his first press conference as president-elect on Wednesday.
"We did a good job with Carrier," Trump said. "I want to thank United Technologies, which owns Carrier. We saved close to 1,000 jobs. They were gone. Mike Pence and his staff really helped us a lot."
WATCH | Watch Trump's full statement on Carrier in the video player above
Trump and then-Governor Mike Pence announced a deal last December to keep 730 union, production line jobs in Indianapolis as well as 70 salaried positions. In exchange, Carrier will receive a $7 million tax break over the next 10 years.
PREVIOUS | Carrier: Not all jobs saved by deal; roughly 600 jobs will still move to Mexico by the end of 2017
Carrier is also expected to invest $16 million into the Indianapolis plant.
"That was a tough one," Trump said Wednesday. "Because they announced a year and a half before they were leaving. It's always tough. They were building a plant. It's always tougher than before they start or before they make an announcement."
Carrier announced it was leaving Indianapolis in February 2016, about 10 months before the deal was made.
FROM FEBRUARY | Employees react to news that Carrier is moving from Indy to Mexico
Trump also discussed his planned border tax, something he's brought up since he was on the campaign trail. He said any company wanting to move outside the country will pay a tax, but companies that stay inside the United States are free to move to a different state.
"You're gonna pay a very, very large border tax," Trump said. "If you want to move to another country, if you want to fire all of our great, American workers that got you there in the first place -- you can move from Michigan to Tennessee and to North Carolina and South Carolina. You can move from South Carolina back to Michigan. You got a lot of states at play. A lot of competition. It's not like 'Oh, gee, I'm taking the competition.' We have a lot of places you can move. And I don't care as long as it's within the United States."
Trump has previously called out Rexnord, an Indiana company that also plans to move jobs to Monterrey, Mexico.
"Rexnord of Indiana is moving to Mexico and rather viciously firing all of its 300 workers," Trump tweeted in December. "This is happening all over our country. No more!"
PREVIOUS | Trump calls out Rexnord a day after visiting Indianapolis to announce Carrier deal
He didn't mention Rexnord in Wednesday's press conference.
ALSO READ:
Call 6 Investigates Rafael Sanchez denied press credential to Carrier event
Carrier releases details about agreement with Trump administration to stay in Indiana
Carrier's union president: "Trump lied his a-- off" about deal to save jobs
Donald Trump tweets about getting Carrier to stay in Indiana
FULL CARRIER COVERAGE: DOCUMENTARY SERIES: Moving to Mexico with 1,400 of Indy's lost jobs | Jilted workers get first look at Carrier's offer | TIMELINE: Carrier to ship 1,400 jobs from Indiana to Mexico | Trump made money off of Carrier in 2015 | Carrier president: More growth expected in '16 | Ex-Carrier employee sentenced for embezzlement | Carrier pay in Mexico questioned | Carrier refutes offer of $5.85/hour for workers to stay in Indy | Coats, Donnelly have 'disappointing' meeting with Carrier execs | Sen. Donnelly: Carrier never cited federal regulations as reason for move | Union president: 'We're not going away quietly' | Carrier employees protest move at statehouse | Pence on Carrier meeting: 'I don't want to create any false hope for people' | Moving to Mexico: What you need to know about Monterrey, Mexico | Moving to Mexico: On the ground in Monterrey, Mexico, where Carrier is moving Trump weights in on Carrier relocation to Mexico | Carrier: Company did not receive $5M in federal stimulus funds | President of United Steelworkers Union: No hope of saving 1,400 jobs | Carrier employees, local businesses reel after announcement of move to Mexico | WATCH: Employees react to news that Carrier is moving from Indy to Mexico
