General Motors has repaid $US8.1 billion in loans from the US and Canadian governments, less than a year after emerging from bankruptcy.
The car making giant said the repayment marked an important step towards GM reducing government ownership of the firm.
GM received almost $US62 billion from the United States and Canada as recession brought it to the brink of collapse, the BBC reports.
The company, which has closed 14 factories in the US, also said it would now invest $US257 million in its American plants.
But GM, which owns the Vauxhall and Opel brands, still owes $US45.3 billion to the US and $US8.1 billion to Canada, money it received when the US and Canada took large stakes in the company.
The US government owns 61% of GM and Canada about 12%.
GM filed for bankruptcy protection last year. It subsequently closed 14 factories and shed more than 65,000 jobs in the US and emerged from bankruptcy protection in July.
Earlier in April, the company reported a $US4.3 billion net loss for July to December of last year.
