In January, Ford Motor Co. abandoned plans to open a $1.6 million factory in Mexico, a move hailed by then President-elect Donald Trump as a vote of confidence in his promise to reverse the flow of U.S. manufacturing jobs to that country.

But on Monday, Fords newly named chief executive officer distanced himself from an administration marred by a steady stream of self-inflicted scandals and a failure to enact key parts of its policy agenda.

I had nothing to do with the previous decisions on Mexico, Jim Hackett, who previously served as a director on the board and led Fords autonomous car project, said at a press conference Monday morning. We made that decision not for political reasons, but for business reasons, and those are still sound today.

Hackett, 62, spent over two decades as chief executive of the office furniture giant Steelcase Inc. In 2011, he oversaw the closure of three factories in Michigan, Texas and Canada, and moved production to the companys two plants in Mexico. At Ford, he said Mexico where the company is already expanding two plants would remain a manufacturing hub.

Were a global company, he said. We want to own our strategies about where we play and how we win. Well be producing product all over the world. We have to do that. The supply chains are designed in interactive ways that you cant undo.