Pakistan, Oct. 5 -- President Donald Trump has claimed a "roaring comeback" in American auto manufacturing following aggressive trade policy, but analysts view the cumulative impact as more of a mixed bag.

Since Trump returned to the White House, General Motors, Toyota, Ford and other carmakers have announced plans to expand US plants or shift production from overseas to make use of underutilized factories, as the industry navigated measures such as a 25-percent levy on imported autos.

But as the president's allies in the Republican party look ahead to mid-term elections in November, the gains to the US carmaker profile look more incremental than decisive, and are accompanied by a drag in spending in some cases due to trade uncertainty....