acf domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/ecg/ecgassociationdev/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121Automotive News Europe — 2025-04-14
Automotive Industry
President Donald Trump said he is exploring possible exemptions to his tariffs on imported vehicles and parts to give auto companies more time to set up U.S. manufacturing.
“I’m looking at something to help car companies with it. They’re switching to parts that were made in Canada, Mexico and other places, and they need a little bit of time, because they’re going to make them here,” Trump told reporters on April 14 in the Oval Office.
The president’s comments could potentially bring relief to automakers reeling from his duties on car and light truck imports, but they also inject further uncertainty into his tariff plans. Shares of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis hit session highs after Trump’s comments, reversing earlier declines.
Levies on auto imports have threatened to raise prices for American consumers and wreak havoc on auto supply chains, which are deeply integrated across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Trump has argued the duties are necessary to revive American manufacturing.
Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on fully built vehicles, with duties on parts set to take effect no later than May 3. His tariffs on Canada and Mexico already contain a carveout for vehicles with enough domestic content to meet requirements under the existing North American trade agreement.
Detroit’s Big Three automakers for weeks have lobbied the Trump administration to exclude certain low-cost car components from planned tariffs. Ford, GM and Stellantis have conceded they’re willing to pay tariffs on completed cars and large components like engines and transmissions, according to people familiar with the matter.
But company representatives have told the administration that broad parts duties would drive up costs by billions of dollars and trigger profit warnings and layoffs that would counter Trump’s goal of rebuilding US auto manufacturing.
Trump also said on April 14 that he anticipated rolling out tariffs on pharmaceutical imports in the “not too distant future.”
Trump’s frequent shifts on his sweeping tariff plans have sent confusing signals to markets, companies and trading partners grappling with how to engage a White House pledging to negotiate dozens of new agreements aimed at shrinking trade imbalances.
The president on 14 April touted exclusions for popular consumer electronics from 125 percent tariffs on China and a 10 percent baseline global tariff as beneficial for American tech giant Apple and also touted U.S. investments by AI chipmaker Nvidia.
“Look, I’m a very flexible person, I don’t change my mind, but I’m flexible,” Trump told reporters.
“I helped Tim Cook recently and that whole business,” the president continued, referring to the Apple chief executive officer. “I don’t want to hurt anybody. But the end result is we’re going to get to the position of greatness for our country.”
Trump signaled over the weekend however that relief for tech products will be short lived, with him and his aides saying that those imports will eventually be hit with a different, sector-specific tariff.