Corporate income tax to the federal government for welfare disbursements. Capital investment in American stocks. Land acquisition of American land. Marketing, advertising to "service" organizations who use foreign made equipment. Subsidiaries? Other suppliers/vendors of foreign made items. Charity, here or Japan? State and local taxes to governments for welfare disbursement.
Etc. Ah yes, ETC. This would be the significant chunk of profit consumers paid for their cars that could have gone to the American economy, but goes offshore.
You're a "free trade" nut. Answer this question:
Give me one good reason for world trade, to the extent we are involved in it, over making what people need domestically and selling to each other in this country. Justify your reason as a greater boon to American (only American, I could care less about others) economic health against the already experienced economic health of the 20th century decades where we practiced the latter.
Only a protectionist "nut" (your term) fails to see the economic benefits of a manufacturing plant in their own backyard. As if the money I spend on a Honda built (with domestically-produced components, thank you) in Marysville, Ohio simply evaporates. LOL
Defining an American Car