Trump says he will impose tariffs on imported cars in April

US President Donald Trump on February 14 announced his intention to impose tariffs on imported cars, adding to his wave of sweeping import tariffs.

“We’ll be doing it around April 2,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office about the auto import tariffs as he signed executive orders on energy policy.

US President Donald Trump in Florida (USA) on February 14, 2025

The move is the latest sign of a rapidly expanding trade war as Trump makes good on a campaign pledge to impose sweeping tariffs on US allies and rivals, Bloomberg reported.

Earlier on February 12, President Trump announced a roadmap for applying "reciprocal" tariffs to all countries that impose tariffs on US goods. Reuters quoted a White House official as saying that the tariffs would not take effect immediately but would be implemented in the next few weeks, after the Trump administration's economic and trade team completed a review of bilateral trade relations.

Some of the biggest brands in Japan, Germany and South Korea could be hit hard by Mr Trump’s auto tariffs. Imported vehicles are expected to account for about half of the US car market by 2024. About 80% of Volkswagen’s US sales are imported, while Hyundai-Kia’s are 65%, according to market research firm Global Data.

However, it remains unclear how much the new import tariffs on cars will be and whether vehicles built under free trade agreements with Canada and Mexico will be exempt from the industry tariffs, if they are imposed.

A broad tariff on all imported cars would have a profound impact on the global auto industry, experts say. In 2024, the U.S. imported about 8 million new cars and light trucks, worth more than $240 billion, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Decades of free trade agreements have helped make North America a hub for auto manufacturing, with highly integrated supply chains across the continent. President Donald Trump has thrown that structural pillar into sharp question by proposing a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, which could take effect next month.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-trump-noi-se-danh-thue-o-to-nhap-khau-vao-thang-4-185250215073204642.htm