Protestors and proponents alike turned out during a visit by President Donald Trump to suburban Detroit. The president promised tariffs will lead to more good-paying jobs in the United States and an economic boom in the future. But he also announced steps providing tariff relief as automakers prepare for the possibility of a sharp slump in sales and earnings — as well as job cuts — in the months ahead.
Pres. Donald Trump is expected to deliver good news for the auto industry during a visit to Detroit Tuesday. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick signaled there will be cuts made to the tariffs that were expected to result in as much as a 2 million unit reduction in new vehicle sales this year. Headlight.News has more.
Carmakers are scrambling to adapt to the tariffs Pres. Donald Trump has enacted, U.S. new vehicle sales estimated to drop as much as 2 million this year due to higher prices. But no brand is as vulnerable as Buick. That’s because the vast majority of the General Motors brand’s products are imported from South Korea and China.
Trump’s tariffs are beginning to unnerve consumers as they eye purchasing new vehicles, forcing some buyers to jump off the fence and race into dealerships, while others have decided to wait out the chaos. Headlight.News has more.
President Trump signaled tariffs on Chinese imports would “come down substantially,” though no specifics have yet been released by the White House. The news had stock markets rallying and automakers hoping this could reduce their own burden, analysts previously warning that tariffs could cost the U.S. industry up to 2 million sales this year. But manufacturers are still facing big hits from tariffs on Mexican and Canadian-made autos and auto parts, reports Headlight.News.
Motorists around the world are becoming increasingly comfortable with purchasing and owning EVs, according to a new study, though Americans lag well behind their counterparts in Europe and, in particular, China. Credit the longer range, faster charging and lower costs of newer EV models, consumers told McKinsey & Co. Headlight.News has more.
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.
Hyundai’s flagship Palisade SUV gets a makeover for 2026 and the three-row SUV not only grows bigger but adds a new hybrid option that can log more than 600 miles between fill-ups. For those who don’t want to stick to the pavement, meanwhile, there’s the brand’s first new XRT Pro package. Headlight.News has more.
Despite new Trump tariffs targeting imported autos and auto parts, Volkswagen intends to move ahead with plans to launch the sport Cupra brand in the U.S., company officials confirmed during a media event in Miami. But the move across the Atlantic may not happen until the very end of the decade – and Cupra may wind up moving at least some production to the U.S. by then, Headlight.News reports.
President Trump’s tariff battle is putting both General Motors and Ford Motor Co. luxury plans under a cloud. Both the U.S. and China have heated up tariffs, even while the president paused other portions of his trade plan.
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.
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.