U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday, February 14, that tariffs on cars crossing its borders could take effect around April 2. From the Oval Office of the White House, the president indicated that he will unveil new tariffs on automobiles, adding to his series of tariff measures on imports in an attempt to reorganize U.S. trade relations.
According to Trump, the imposition of tariffs of up to 25 percent on Mexican products and the threat of establishing a special tariff on cars manufactured in Mexico will impact a cost increase for manufacturers such as GM, Ford, Nissan, Stellantis, Honda, and Toyota, which in turn would lead to a slowdown in exports from the automotive industry.
Currently, Mexico has the United States as its largest trading partner and main consumer of vehicles, especially SUVs and trucks, due to the high demand in the U.S. market and the limited production capacity to meet it, making them heavily dependent on vehicle imports manufactured in Mexico.
In previous weeks, Trump has announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that levy taxes on U.S. product imports, which could come into effect in April. He has also threatened to implement sectoral tariffs in areas such as energy, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals, using these measures as a form of pressure to gain political concessions from other nations on issues such as immigration and illegal drug trafficking.
The president has also highlighted tariffs as a tool to persuade companies to move their operations to the United States, referring to his desire to turn German automotive companies into American corporations, a goal that seems unlikely due to existing trade barriers.
Finally, Trump has postponed the imposition of tariffs on all imports from Mexico and Canada, scheduling their start for March while both countries negotiate on border security issues.
