As buyers snap up unsold vehicles, Ford cautions dealers prices will be going up as the result of the new Trump auto tariffs. And other manufacturers say they likely will follow. More from Headlight.News.
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Higher Tariffs, Plummeting Consumer Confidence, Threaten to Crash Auto Sales
The outlook for the automotive industry is starting to look increasingly dim, automakers frantically searching for a way to respond to the Trump administration’s broad tariff on imported autos and auto parts. The question is whether to raise prices and risk a sharp slump in sales or absorb tariffs and crash earnings.
Trump May Offer Exemptions on Import Auto Tariffs
President Donald Trump signaled he may again reverse himself on a key part of his tariff plan, this time telling reporters that he is “looking at” temporary exemptions from the 25% tariffs covering imported autos and auto parts. Experts warned that plan would add thousands of dollars to the cost of both U.S. and foreign-made vehicles and cost the industry nearly 2 million sales for all of 2025. Headlight.News has more.
Trump Pauses Most Tariffs – But Leaves Those Impacting Autos in Place
President Donald Trump paused for 90 days most of the tariffs that went into effect earlier this month targeting virtually all U.S. trade partners. But he left in place sectoral tariffs, notably including those imparting import autos and auto parts, as well as foreign-made steel and aluminum. He also increased tariffs on countries, such as China, that responded to his original order with increased trade sanctions of their own. Headlight.News has more.
Trump Puts 90-Day Freeze on Tariffs, Except China and Automakers
After days of watching the stock market crash again and again, members of his own party begin to revolt, and an outcry from businesses of all types, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on the global tariffs he revealed last week. Find out why at Headlight.News.
U.S. Traffic Deaths Fall 3.8% in 2024 Continuing Trend
U.S. roads were a bit safer last year, according initial estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The federal safety agency projects that 39,345 people died in traffic crashes last year — a 3.8% decline over 2023. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Frantic Automakers Search for Trump Tariff Strategies
Tariffs continue to dominate the auto industry, manufacturers around the world struggling to figure out formulas that will minimize the impact on consumers – and U.S. sales – while avoiding budget-busting new costs that could send their balance sheets deep into the red. Here are some of the latest developments.
Headlight News Podcast for the Week of 4-7-2025
In this week’s podcast, we discuss the impact of the Trump tariffs, March new vehicle sales, Tesla and Stellantis taking a dip. We review the 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid Review and take a look at This Week in Automotive History.
New Car Sales Jump in March But Tariffs May Cause 1.8M Drop in 2025 Sales
Automakers got to celebrate a bit in March as new vehicle sales jumped 10.7% compared to year-ago numbers. However, that celebration is likely to be short-lived, if the assertions in a new report prove true. The tome authored by Telemetry’s Sam Abuelsamid predicts sales will fall 1.8 million units in 2025 and the next several years don’t look much better, reports Headlight.News.
Hyundai Will Swallow Tariff Hit — For Now
Hyundai said it will temporarily refrain from passing on to consumers any additional tariff costs as part of a new “Customer Assurance” program. That could add up to thousands of dollars on a new vehicle as a result of the new tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump this week. But the program runs only through the beginning of June. Other automakers are weighing their own plans which, for VW means making it clear to buyers why they’ll soon pay more for their vehicles. Headlight.News has more.
Mexican Auto Plants Keep Humming Despite Trump Tariffs
In a surprise twist, Trump’s tariff war has so far left Mexican auto plants humming despite promises to blue-collar workers in the U.S. For now, at least, the USMCA trade agreement remains in force along the Southern border. But the tariffs have already had a negative impact on autoworkers Stellantis announcing layoffs at several of its plants.
Ford, VW First to Reveal Plans Dealing with Auto Tariffs on New Car Prices
President Donald Trump’s press conference laying out the remainder of his tariff policy revealed automakers would not be facing any additional tariffs beyond the 25% on vehicles and parts crossing into the U.S. Volkswagen is adding an “import fee” to vehicles hit by the tariffs while Ford is offering discounts to try to improve affordability. Headlight.News tracks down how other carmakers are dealing with the problem.