White House: Tough time for automakers, slow economy

JACKSON, Miss (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday that a period of slow growth in the U.S. economy was making it a difficult time for the auto industry.

"It's a tough time for automakers," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said to reporters on Air Force One enroute to Mississippi. "We're now in a period of slower growth and that's always going to have an impact on that important sector."

Earlier on Tuesday, Ford Motor Co reported that its U.S. sales tumbled 28 percent in June, driven by steep declines in sales of trucks and SUVs. (Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky, Writing by Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)