The Trump tariffs have arrived, and the auto industry is reeling. Executives are wary of saying too much aloud about what they think and how they are reacting for fear of setting off the administration.
News reports say the Trump Admin. is threatening automakers against raising prices to offset higher costs they’ll incur due to tariffs for any vehicles, parts and components coming from outside the country. Threatening how? The Wall Street Journal reports the president is threatening new regulatory headaches from the federal government, including not certifying new cars for sale if automakers hike retail prices.
It’s getting ugly. Meanwhile, vocal UAW chief Shawn Fain is cheering arguably the most anti-union president in history.
Listen to Senior Editor David Kiley and David Pate, vice president of the manufacturing consulting group TBM, discuss the new realities facing the auto industry, and President Trump’s attempts to reshape it.
