On February 15, Eastern Time, U.S. President Trump once again released trade policy signals when he signed an executive order in the Oval Office, announcing that tariff measures on imported cars will be initiated on April 2, one day later than the originally planned April 1.
This move is seen as another important step in his reshaping of the global trade system and is also the latest in a series of trade protection policies that Trump has intensively launched since the start of his second term on January 20.
On February 13, 2025 local time, US President Trump signed a memorandum requiring relevant departments to determine "reciprocal tariffs" with each foreign trading partner.
Since the beginning of this year, the Trump administration has implemented a number of tariff policies. For example, it imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese goods exported to the United States on top of the existing tariffs; announced a 25% tariff on non-energy imports from Mexico and Canada (later extended for one month); set a 25% tariff on imported steel and aluminum starting March 12; and on the 14th asked the economic team to formulate a "mirror tariff" plan to implement reciprocal retaliation against countries that impose tariffs on American goods. Although Trump called this series of actions "paving the way for the revival of the American manufacturing industry," it caused chaos in corporate operations, tensions in relations with allies, and market concerns about rising inflation.
Next, auto tariffs will once again become his focus.
Trump pointed out that the EU imposes a 10% import tariff on American cars, far exceeding the 2.5% tariff on passenger cars in the United States, and the high 25% tariff imposed by the United States on imported pickup trucks has also become a focus of controversy. According to data from the Ward Institute, nearly a quarter of new cars in the US market in 2023 are imported (excluding vehicles produced in the United States, Canada and Mexico). Although the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) stipulates that vehicles produced in the three countries with more than 75% of domestic parts are exempt from tariffs, Trump's recent threat of tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods is seen by analysts as a bargaining chip to promote the renegotiation of the agreement in 2026.
Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley expressed support on social media for the government's review of its import car policy, saying that "comprehensive trade policies are critical to achieving the president's vision of revitalizing the auto industry," but he also admitted that the existing tariffs have caused "huge costs and chaos."
Matt Brunt, chairman of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents Ford, GM and Stellantis, stressed that vehicles and parts that meet USMCA standards should not be subject to tariffs.
According to the executive order signed by Trump on February 14, the government's economic team must submit a reciprocal tariff plan for all countries that impose tariffs on the United States before April 1. Observers pointed out that this move may trigger a global chain reaction and reshape the international trade rules system.
As the critical date of April 2 approaches, the global automotive industry supply chain, the strategic layout of multinational automakers and major trading partnerships may usher in a new round of shocks and adjustments.
