Tariffs on Hold as Trump Weighs National Security Impact
An anonymous source told Bloomberg that no new tariffs on foreign-made vehicles will be announced until after a Commerce Department report is finalized in February.

Bloomberg reports President Donald Trump will not impose new tariffs on foreign-made vehicles as he awaits the findings of a Commerce Department report due in February.
Photo courtesy The Epoch Times via Flickr
WASHINGTON — An anonymous source told Bloomberg that President Donald Trump is “not ready to act” on threatened auto import tariffs following a Tuesday meeting with his top trade advisers. At issue is a Commerce Department report on the national security implications of new trade restrictions. A final draft is due from Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in February.
If the report deems auto imports to be a national security threat, the president will have 90 days to decide whether to act and another 15 days to execute any prescribed measures, which could include tariffs as well as quotas.
Trump has threatened new tariffs as high as 25% on foreign-made cars. The NADA has estimated prices could rise by as much as $2,270 on affected U.S.-built cars and trucks and $6,875 on imported vehicles. Business and government leaders have repeatedly warned the administration such a move would disrupt the global automotive industry and the growth and stability of the U.S. economy.

Stock prices for Subaru and other Asian factories rallied Wednesday in wake of the news. Vehicles built in Canada, Mexico, and the EU are currently exempt from new import tariffs.
Photo courtesy Subaru of America Inc.
News of a delay was greeted by stock-market gains for Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota. Vehicles built in Canada and Mexico are exempt from new tariffs — subject to caps — thanks to deals negotiated under the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Manufacturers in nations belonging to the European Union are believed to be exempt for as long as talks continue on a new trade pact.
“We are under the assumption that is still valid,” EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told Bloomberg, referring to a mutually agreed-upon halt on new tariffs from either side.
More Dealer Ops

Dealership Profits Decline
While new and used retail sales stagnated, dealerships have been particularly supported by fixed operations and finance-and-insurance profits, according to a new report.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Defection Data & EV Updates
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses how to use defection data to your advantage and the latest on EV sales and charging infrastructure.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.
Read More →
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins
A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.
Read More →
Dealer Ads and the FTC
The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.
Read More →
Used Autos Supply Dwindles
The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.
Read More →
Managing Risk Effectively Through Changing Times
The variables influencing risk pricing have changed significantly over the past five years. Being proactive and responsive to emerging trends is not optional but essential.
Read More →
Survey Reveals What Won't Fix What's Breaking Car Sales
AutoPayPlus says extra-long auto loans are trapping consumers and threatening the dealer trade-in cycle, and that the industry is leveraging the wrong tools to combat high MSRPs.
Read More →
