International
US tariffs. Uu. Automobiles manufactured outside the country will enter into force on April 2.
Donald Trump, president of the United States. (Free Press Photo: AFP)
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Wednesday, March 26 that, as of April 2, a 25 % tariff will be applied to all cars exported to his country. This new and aggressive measure intensifies the trade war initiated by its administration.
“Effectively, we will charge a 25 % tariff to the cars,” Trump said in the White House, shortly before signing the corresponding executive order. He clarified that the provision will not affect auto parts manufactured in the United States.
The president explained that he foresees that the measure, which will also reach light trucks, could generate between 600,000 million and one billion dollars for US coffers in the next two years.
“It will take effect on April 2 and we will start raising on April 3,” added the ruler, who emphasized that, “if your vehicle manufactures in the United States, there are no tariffs.”
Trump stressed that this tariff load will encourage foreign manufacturers to install plants in US territory to avoid taxes. He put as an example the plans of the Japanese manufacturer Honda, which this month announced that he will manufacture a new model in his Indiana plant, instead of doing so in Mexico.
He also recalled that on April 2, a date he has called “Liberation Day”, it is planned to announce a battery of reciprocal tariffs aimed at countries that apply customs taxes on US goods and services.
From his return to the White House, on January 20, Trump has opted to aggressively apply tariffs to imports from various US partners, in order to correct what he considers unfair commercial deficits for Washington, attract foreign investment of corporate capital and exert pressure to reduce the migratory flow and the income of fentanyl.