Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he plans to impose tariffs of around 25% on imported automobiles, with a final decision “probably” to be communicated on April 2.
“I probably will tell you that on April 2, but it’ll be in the neighborhood of 25%,” Trump told reporters in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump also signaled that tariffs on pharmaceuticals and semiconductor imports could exceed that threshold as a move aimed to bring local production into the country.
“When they come into the United States, and they have their plant or factory here, there is no tariff,” he said before noting that these two latest industries will face a tariff of “25% and higher — and it’ll go very substantially higher over the course of a year.”
On Friday, Trump suggested auto tariffs could be enacted immediately after April 1, the deadline for cabinet members to submit recommendations on various trade measures as part of his administration’s push to overhaul global trade relationships.
The president has frequently criticized what he calls unfair restrictions on U.S. automotive exports, arguing that foreign markets impose barriers on American-made cars while benefiting from relatively low U.S. tariffs.
Earlier this month, shares of major automakers fell sharply after Washington imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China.
Trump has also threatened to impose similar duties on European auto imports. The U.S. President has recently said he would “absolutely” move forward with tariffs on EU vehicles. “We’ll see what happens, but I can tell you that it will definitely happen with the European Union,” he said.
The European Union has warned of retaliation if Washington follows through on auto tariffs. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has also expressed concerns over potential trade disruptions.
