The Trump administration has decided to temporarily hold off on imposing tariffs on vehicles coming from Canada and Mexico, providing automakers with a one-month exemption, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Wednesday.
“We spoke with the big three auto dealers. We are going to give a one-month exemption on any autos coming through [the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement] USMCA,” Leavitt stated, quoting a statement from President Trump.
She clarified that while reciprocal tariffs are still set to take effect on April 2, the administration is offering a temporary reprieve at the request of auto companies operating under the USMCA. “Reciprocal tariffs will still go into effect on April 2, but at the request of the companies associated with USMCA, the president is giving them an exemption for one month, so they are not at an economic disadvantage,” she said.
This decision comes after a meeting between Trump and top executives from Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., and Stellantis NV, where industry concerns were discussed.
The administration’s broader tariff policy took effect on Tuesday, placing a 25% duty on imports from Canada and Mexico in response to what Trump views as their failure to implement necessary reforms addressing the fentanyl crisis.
In reaction, both nations have announced their own countermeasures. Trump also shared that he had a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the issue.
“For anyone who is interested, I also told Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada that he largely caused the problems we have with them because of his Weak Border Policies, which allowed tremendous amounts of Fentanyl, and Illegal Aliens, to pour into the United States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“These Policies are responsible for the death of many people!”
{Matzav.com}