Trump plans to introduce additional 25% tariffs on US auto imports
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during signing of executive orders at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 18, 2025. (AFP)
Additional tariffs on imported cars would be around 25%, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled on Tuesday, detailing his previous statement in which he said the adjustment would be officially announced by April 2.
“It’ll be in the neighborhood of 25%,” Trump told reporters in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, while noting that the specifics would come in April.
Asked also about tariffs he has floated on sectors like pharmaceuticals, Trump added: “It’ll be 25% and higher, and it’ll go very substantially higher over (the) course of a year.”
He said that he wanted to give companies time to enter the U.S. market. On Tuesday, he said that he has been contacted by major companies, who “want to come back into the United States” given Washington’s stance on tariffs and tax incentives.
50% of US auto market is reliant on imports
Trump has announced a range of levies since taking office in January, threatening to hit allies and adversaries alike. He has not provided many details on the planned auto tariffs or those affecting other sectors like semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
Experts have warned it is often Americans who end up paying the cost of tariffs on U.S. imports, rather than foreign exporters.
About 50% of the cars sold in the United States are manufactured within the country. Among imports, about half come from Mexico and Canada and the other half from other major auto-producing countries.
